We're Not Meant to Be
by LuvStarWars
Summary: You can never challenge a pureblood! Not for me! Aidou-senpai... Please... AidouXYuuki Rating may go up... CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE VAMPIRE KNIGHT ANIME SERIES FINALE!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I've decided to turn my first two AidouXYuuki oneshots into a real story, so here is the first chapter again. Thank you so much to everyone who gave comments on the last two, but I'll be removing those as soon as I get five comments on the three chapters that I'll post tonight. :) THIS STORY OCCURS AFTER THE VAMPIRE KNIGHT ANIME FINALE, SO IT CONAINS SPOILERS FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T FINISHED WATCHING VAMPIRE KNIGHT GUILTY!!!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight (obviously).

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 1**

**Take All You Want From Me  
**

Snow turned the morning world outside Yuuki's window perfectly white, frost creeping along the edge of the glass in delicate silvery-blue designs. Yuuki just watched the snowflakes dance, entranced by their movement on the breeze. She was unable to sleep, and not just because she was unused to sleeping during the daytime. She was thirsty… again.

_Now I know what Zero felt like when he first became a vampire…_ she thought sadly to herself. It was so awkward drinking blood, so… disturbing to her still new vampire mind. And yet, it was somewhat of a necessity. Her older brother would immediately suggest she drink his blood if she told him she once again thirsted, but it didn't seem right. Yuuki couldn't feel the same about Kaname as she had before her awakening. He was her brother now, and she could never think of him differently again. Drinking his blood just seemed too intimate. It made her uncomfortable.

_Zero would let me drink his blood if he were here,_ she mused. Yes, he would. Even though he'd sworn to kill her, she understood his reasons. Zero was still her friend, despite the difficult circumstances of their relationship. She'd let him drink her blood. He would do the same for her, Yuuki knew.

But Zero wasn't here. He was at Cross Academy, far away. It felt so lonely without him here, even in the lively (and somewhat noisy) company of Ruka Souen and Aidou Hanabusa, as well as the quieter Kain Akatsuki. Zero had been her closest friend for so many years, it felt wrong to be without him, even though he didn't stand out that much compared to people like Aidou-senpai.

The thought of Aidou-senpai made Yuuki bury her blushing face under her thick covers. The blond vampire was absolutely devoted to her, especially ever since he'd been made aware of the fact that she was a pureblood. He waited on her hand and foot, every minute, eager to please. How things had changed! It touched her to see Aidou's unbreakable loyalty for her, when at times it had seemed like he wanted nothing to do with her. It was nice to have such a trustworthy companion in this uncertain vampire world.

Suddenly, Yuuki sat up and swung her legs over the side of her enormous bed. Creeping silently to the door, she inched it open, making no sound, and slid out into the hallway. Thirst clawed at her throat as she tip-toed down the hall in complete silence, her heart pounding with excitement. If Kaname caught her, he might force her to drink his blood by some form of his manipulation or other. Yuuki loved her brother dearly, but sometimes it frustrated her how controlling he could be. Still, she knew he was only trying to care for her in the way he knew best.

Fortunately, however, Yuuki made it to the door she sought without the aforementioned encounter. Unsure if she should knock first, but worried that the sound would alert the omnipresent Kaname, she stood outside the door for a long moment, pondering. Finally, the princess gave up and just entered, as quietly and carefully as possible.

Nothing stirred in the spacious bedroom she stepped into, but her powerful vampire eyes could see the covers on the bed rise ever so slightly, then lower again with the inhale and exhale of its sleeping occupant. Tip-toeing to the bedside, Yuuki leaned over it, eyeing the mess of tousled blond hair poking out of the blankets with amused fondness. Maybe she should just wait until morning and let him sleep. He looked so peaceful when he slept. But before she could turn away, she caught his smell.

The thirst increased, almost painful now. When would this incessant thirst die?! Pulled closer by the burning in her throat, Yuuki laid a hand softly on the mop of blond hair on the pillow, the only part of her friend that was visible, and tugged gently.

Aidou exploded out of the covers with such a tangle of limbs and bed sheets that Yuuki had to leap back against the opposite wall just to avoid being swept up in the waves of white silks and cotton. The golden-haired vampire was on his feet in two seconds, wrapped so tightly in sheets he almost fell over again. Catching himself just in time, he shook himself free of the blankets and stumbled into a clumsy bow at Yuuki's feet.

"Cross- er, Kuran Yuuki-sa-"

Yuuki clamped her hand over his mouth, hissing at him to be quiet. Kaname might hear his blabbering, and then the whole point in her coming would be lost. Aidou just stared at her, bewildered by the fact that Yuuki was holding his face so forcefully. When the vampire princess was sure he would be quiet, she released him, blushing a little. Suddenly, she couldn't think of what she wanted to say.

"I, um… I…" It was still so awkward! Of course Aidou would understand, but she still didn't know how to say it properly. She must look so ridiculous! That only made her blush more.

"K-Kuran Yuuki-sama, what do you need?" Aidou stuttered.

"Well, I, um… I…" Finally, she just decided to blurt it out and get it over with. "I'm thirsty," she hissed, ducking her head.

Aidou was silent for a second, then he threw back his head and laughed aloud- until Yuuki tackled him and pressed her hand over his mouth again.

"Aidou-senpai, we'll both get in trouble if you keep being so loud!" she sputtered, releasing his jaw and climbing off of him.

"Forgive me, Kuran Yuuki-sama," Aidou chuckled quietly. "It's just so…" He stopped himself, suddenly aware he might offend the pureblood leaning over him. "Forgive me, Kuran Yuuki-sama," he said instead.

"Please call me Yuuki, Aidou-senpai," Yuuki requested, still feeling stupid.

"Kura- er, Yuuki…" Aidou tested the name. "Yuuki-sama, take as much blood as you want."

Yuuki nodded, leaning further over him, unsure how to continue. She'd never drunk anyone's blood except Kaname's and Zero's, both of whom she'd known ever since she was a little girl. She barely knew Aidou, or at least, it seemed that way considering what she was about to do.

Moving closer, Yuuki dipped her head to reach Aidou's neck. Attempting to help, Aidou pulled down the collar of his night shirt, but that only made Yuuki draw back. Pushing himself off the floor, Aidou sat up and took her shoulders uncertainly, pulling her closer again. This time, Yuuki didn't pull away. But she didn't bite.

"It's okay, Yuuki-sama," Aidou reassured her, tightening his arms around her. Yuuki blushed, but her thirst distracted her. Bracing herself, she rested her lips against the side of Aidou's neck and bared her teeth. They sank in easily, and she drank, restraining herself at first, then drinking a little more deeply.

"You know, it's funny," Aidou said softly as Yuuki drank, smiling to himself at some private joke, "this is the first time someone has ever drunk my blood like this. I never thought it would be you who did it…"

Satisfied, Yuuki pulled back slowly, licking the access blood from around the wound, and then any that had gotten on her lips and chin. She tore off a piece of her nightgown's white sleeve and wrapped it carefully around Aidou's neck as a bandage, while he watched her face, confused.

"What are you…"

"I know the others will see, but I still want it to heal as fast as possible," Yuuki explained hurriedly. As soon as the bandage was tied, she stood up and bowed to the blond vampire, who was still sitting on the floor. "I'm sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night like this, Senpai, and thank you for letting me drink your blood. I'll let you get some rest now-" She hadn't even finished the sentence until she was turning for the door, attempting to hide the blush that was threatening to turn her whole face red.

Aidou shot to his feet and snatched her hand before she could leave. "Yuuki-chan - Ah, Yuuki-sama… Don't be afraid to come here again… Next time you're thirsty. I'll do anything…"

Startled, Yuuki looked back at him. His eyes were perfectly serious, but something more. He seemed worried. Yuuki cracked a smile.

"Thank you, Aidou-senpai," she whispered, her eyes softening. Aidou relaxed, grinning his crooked smile back at her. Yuuki didn't blush this time. Finally Aidou released her hand.

"Good night, Yuuki-sama."

"Good night, Aidou-senpai."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: ...Still don't own it...

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 1**

**A Walk in the Snow  
**

Yuuki kicked at a pile of fluffy snow, watching absentmindedly as the ice crystals fluttered around in a cloud of white before settling back to the frozen ground. She felt somewhat ridiculous because she was holding an umbrella over her head and the morning sky was perfectly clear. But the sunlight was such an annoyance to her vampire eyes that she couldn't go out of doors unshielded on a sunny day without here eyes watering at the irritation. It was the exact same sensation she got when she was chopping onions, the same ache in her eyes before the tears came. At times it frustrated her that she could no longer enjoy the sun and the warmth of it on her skin, but she comforted herself by remembering that as long as she had her trusty lavender umbrella, she could stay out here as long as she pleased.

And she was pleased to stay out here for a very long time.

Everything had been turned to silky white. The snow that had been falling for several days had piled up against and in the branches of the trees and on the surviving shrubs in glistening heaps of fluffy pearl. It formed little rolling hills on the ground that her boots made perfect lines of deep footprints in. And to honor this gorgeous winter paradise, every living creature was perfectly still, all in reverent silence and peace.

"YUUKI-SAMA!!!!"

Yuuki tripped on an invisible tree root jutting out of the ground, caught off guard by the shout of her name. Just before she hit the ground, a pair of arms caught her, twisted her upward, and whoever was holding her took the full impact of the fall into a thick bank of snow. Fluffy frozen powder went everywhere.

"Y-Yuuki-sama, are you all right?" Aidou asked, his voice muffled since he was talking into the back of her neck and the thick coffee-colored scarf wrapped around it.

Still too stunned to speak, Yuuki just nodded. She was blushing furiously from the fact that Aidou still had his arms wrapped securely around her waist, holding her back to his chest. The princess struggled to get up out of the snow bank, which they'd sunk halfway into, and Aidou immediately released her.

"I-I'm sorry, Yuuki-sa-" Aidou began, but Yuuki held a hand up to silence him, still trying to get her heart to slow.

"Thank you… Aidou-senpai," she finally gasped, "for catching me." Her heart was finally calming down, but her face was still red, remembering their encounter earlier that morning.

"You're welcome…"

"How is your neck?"

Aidou stared blankly for a second. "My neck… Oh, yes! It's fine!" He suddenly seemed very excited, and he flopped out of the snow bank, shaking the frozen flakes out of his wet blond hair, his blue eyes sparkling. "And even better, Kaname-sama hasn't slapped me yet!"

Yuuki's eyebrows rose in alarm. "He-"

"That means he hasn't found out yet!" Aidou explained, still ecstatic. He suddenly leaned in closer, whispering, "Of course, I have been doing a good job of keeping it a secret. See this-" He pointed animatedly at his neck, which a thick blue plaid scarf was wrapped securely around. "- does a perfect job of hiding the bite marks, and without it I've been keeping my collar high on my neck and wearing extra cologne to mask the smell of blood! Kaname-sama doesn't suspect a thing, and neither does Kain and they notice everything! Pretty smart, right?"

Yuuki couldn't help herself from smiling at Aidou's excitement. At least he hadn't been caught yet. She wouldn't forgive herself if he got in trouble because of her own weakness. Aidou's good mood was rubbing off on her, and she laughed aloud. "Thank you, Aidou-senpai, for taking such good care of my secret," she giggled.

Aidou's smile widened, then his eyes turned sly. "So… Will you need a drink tonight, too-"

Horrified and flustered, Yuuki pushed him over into the snow, blushing furiously. "Aidou-senpai!!" she exclaimed, at a loss for any other words. How could he be so forward about it?! But then again, he was Aidou. She should have remembered that from their talk that one time in the Night Class dorms. He'd straight-out told her to ask Kaname to drink all her blood, and described to her how much she would enjoy it. It seemed obvious he would now be equally forward about her drinking his own blood. But there was something else in his tone. He sounded almost… excited by the prospect. Eager. That revelation turned Yuuki's face two shades a deeper red.

"I'm sorry, Yuuki-sama!!" Aidou immediately repented, waving his hand frantically. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to upset you! I just wanted you to know…" He lowered his eyes and voice. "I'm always there for you if you need me. I know I said it before, but I just wanted to make sure you knew." He was perfectly serious now, and Yuuki's blush faded. She bowed her head, grateful for such a kind friend.

"Thank you, Aidou-senpai. You're so kind…"

They were quiet for a long moment, then Aidou suddenly realized he was sitting right in the middle of a bright patch of morning sunlight. Hissing, he dove into Yuuki's shadow as she picked her umbrella back up. She instantly dropped it again in surprise.

"A-Aidou-senpai-"

"Umbrella!!" Aidou wailed, burying his face in her hair. Fumbling with the umbrella, Yuuki finally got it open and Aidou pulled back, sighing contentedly in the little circle of shade and relief.

"What did you come out here for in the first place?" Yuuki asked, amazed at how the blond vampire had ventured into the sunny morning world without an umbrella when he so loathed the sunlight.

"Oh, I just didn't want you wandering around by yourself," Aidou explained, scooting closer to her to keep his foot inside the ring of shade. "Besides, I was afraid that if I was around Kaname-sama too long, he would figure out what you did… By the way, why do you want it to be such a secret from Kaname-sama anyway? I don't think we'd get in that much trouble if he knew…"

"No way," Yuuki argued. "He would insist I drink his blood next time, and then he'd constantly be watching me for the next time I got thirsty, just to make sure I would drink his blood and no one else's. I know he just wants to take care of me, but he can be so possessive and controlling sometimes… And I… It's still so awkward to be around him, now that I know he's my brother. I mean, I loved him more than anyone or anything in the world, and now… I just need time to sort this out, but he doesn't seem to understand that…" Suddenly she realized who she was gushing to. "I'm sorry for ranting…" she began, but Aidou cut her off.

"No, it makes perfect sense," he reassured her. "You're feeling really confused, aren't you, Yuuki-chan?"

Yuuki noticed with a smile that he forgot to say "sama" and used the more intimate "chan," but she didn't say anything. If he didn't notice, she wasn't going to correct him. "Yes," she admitted. The umbrella drooped a little in her hands as she forgot to keep holding it up, and Aidou immediately moved closer. They were back to back now, sitting directly on the freezing snow with an umbrella over them on a clear day. It made Yuuki giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing…"

"Yuuki-ch- er, Yuuki-sama…"

The vampire princess frowned a little at the formal honorific.

"…You shouldn't worry too much about Kaname-sama," Aidou finished. "He may seem controlling sometimes, but that just means he cares that much more about you." He paused, and then added in a quieter voice, "And you always have me, too, Yuuki-sama. Always."

Yuuki nodded, leaning her head back to let it rest on Aidou's shoulder. He stiffened a little, then relaxed into her touch. "I know… Thank you."

"You're welcome… Um, Yuuki-sama?"

"Yes?"

"It doesn't matter either way, but… are you done with your walk? If not that's fine, it's just that… my eyes are watering really badly, and my nose is starting to itch."

Yuuki just laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: All right, here's chapter three! I'm not going to post the next chapter and delete the two AidouXYuuki oneshots before this (which ended up being chapters 1 and 2) until I get at least five reviews on what I have so far. So please, please review! :) And thank you to everyone who favorited and reviewed the two AidouXYuuki oneshots as well! This is the real story now... XD

Disclaimer: ...Nope, still don't own it...

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 3**

**Wishful Thinking  
**

The stars sparkled like silver glitter poured across the sky, throwing twinkling light across the snow on the earth below. The moon hung like a giant, perfect pearl high above their heads, illuminating the chilly winter midnight even more. Yuuki shivered a little, pulling her scarf up over her numb nose and ears. Suddenly, everything felt warmer, like she was being entirely wrapped in soft blankets. Startled, she looked up. Aidou Hanabusa stared down at her, worried, as he slipped his thick jacket around her.

"You shouldn't be out here, Yuuki-sama," he insisted, his breath making small white clouds in the air. "You don't want to see what a vampire with a old looks like!"

Yuuki giggled, pulling the jacket tighter around her. It smelled spicy, like cinnamon. Thankfully, her scarf was pulled up high enough on her face to cover her blush.

"I'm sorry, Aidou-senpai," she said quietly as she returned her gaze to the sky. "It's just that, winter here is so beautiful. I was so busy back at the Academy most of the time to really notice the weather, but here I have plenty of free time, and not much to do with it but explore." She flashed her blond friend a smile mostly hidden by her scarf, though Aidou could tell she was smiling anyway from the sparkle in her eyes. "And everything looks so much more beautiful with the eyes of a vampire, anyway," she added.

Aidou blinked at her, taken by her windswept hair, her rosy cheeks, and her dazzling crimson eyes. He looked away, hoping the fact it was so cold would hide his blushing. He shouldn't be thinking that way…

"Won't you sit down, Aidou-senpai?" Yuuki offered suddenly. She patted the spot on the roof next to her and gave him another infectious smile that he didn't need to see to be entranced by. Hesitantly, he sat down next to her, keeping a safe foot long distance between them – which Yuuki conveniently filled up when she scooted closer. They sat in silence for a long moment, Yuuki just staring at the sky, and Aidou trying to catch his breath.

"Aidou-senpai?" Her voice broke his concentration. "Are you sure you're not cold without your jacket? You look pretty cold…"

Aidou unconsciously scooted a few inches away. "No, I'm fine," he said quickly. "This thing is really warm," he added, pointing to his thick woolen scarf. Yuuki raised an eyebrow at him, but he ignored her.

Slipping her arm out of the right sleeve of the jacket, Yuuki lifted up the side closest to Aidou. "You'll be warmer with this," she offered, her voice strangely muffled from hiding her face so far in her own scarf.

Aidou blushed deeply. "N-no thank you, Yuuki-sama, I'm f-fine-"

"Your teeth are chattering!" Yuuki protested.

_It's not the cold, I'm sure of it…_ Aidou thought, but he dare not say THAT out loud. He knew that, being the kind of person she was, always determined to help others, Yuuki would keep pestering until the sun rose. Finally, he moved back over to her and slipped under the half of the jacket she'd held out. Yuuki took the opportunity to snuggle up next to him, curling up into his side and resting her head against his chest. Aidou wondered she didn't move away from the boom of his heart hammering against his ribs. How was she so bold all of a sudden?!

"Yu-Yuuki-sama-" he began, but Yuuki cut him off by pointing quickly at the sky.

"Look, Aidou-senpai, quick!!" she cried. "It's a falling star! Wish, quick!"

Aidou sucked in a deep breath of icy air as he watch Yuuki fall still, concentrating. He glanced up in just enough time to see the streak of pale silver fall behind the trees, then looked back at Yuuki, waiting. What was she wishing for? What could HE wish for? There was always the impossible…

_Really, the only thing I want, I could probably only GET by wishing on a star. And that's IF it works, anyway…_ he thought sadly. But there was no harm in trying. Quickly, he mouthed the words, his eyes squeezed shut. For a moment, they both sat perfectly still and silent, eyes shut tightly, mouthing the words to their wishes, hoping they could come true.

Yuuki's eyes snapped open just as Aidou finished the last word in his mind. "What did you wish for, Aidou-senpai?" she asked quickly, her eyes dancing.

Sobered, Aidou closed his eyes again, slipped out from under his jacket, and stood up. "You should really go inside, soon," he said quietly, and walked away.

_I wished… I wished I had a chance with you, Yuuki. But I don't. I never will. I might have at one point, but things are different now. You already belong to someone, and I can never contend with him. I guess all I can do is wish, but that hurts the most._

_

* * *

_

_I wished this could all work out between us. You seemed open to it at first, but… Now you're hesitant, Aidou-senpai, and I don't know why. Why do you shrug away from me like this all of a sudden? What has changed?_

_Or maybe… I was just imagining things…_

_

* * *

_

The sun was just peaking over the treetops, but only skinny rays slipped past the thick wall of curtains over Yuuki's window. Warm, shallow shadows filled the room, making everything a murky color. Through this shadow Aidou carefully slipped, struggling to remain perfectly silent. Arriving at Yuuki's bed, which she was almost buried in with thick blankets, he stooped down and kissed her cheek very, very softly, smelling her hair and feeling her warm breath on his forehead. The vampire princess stirred, and Aidou leaped back, prepared to disappear if she awakened. But Yuuki just mumbled something incomprehensible to herself and fell back asleep.

Relaxing, Aidou backed out the door backwards, his eyes still fixed on Yuuki. In that moment, he was certain he would fight for the feelings stirring inside him. He wouldn't give up so easily. Quickly, he disappeared down the hall.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I know I didn't get 5 _real_ votes, but _somebody_ cheated (you know who you are, and thank you XD), so I'm posting the next chapter. ^_^ I know it's short, and I'm sorry, but yeah... PLEASE REVIEW, AND THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL COME FASTER!! XD

Disclaimer: ...still don't own it...

**We're Not Meant To Be**

**Chapter 4**

**So Close...  
**

"What am I supposed to do now? So, I'm going to try and make this work, but how? Should I just tell Yuuki and hope she likes me back?? Should I ask Kaname's permission and pray he doesn't kill me? Or maybe I should just keep my feelings bottled up inside forever and walk around all miserable and grouchy like that Kiryu Zero for the rest of my life…? No. No, I shouldn't do that. That's just depressing…" Aidou turned sharply on his heel. "Well? What should I do, Kain?!"

Kain just sat on the edge of his bed, staring at him blankly. "Why are you asking ME this, Hanabusa?" he asked weakly, thoroughly confused and bored.

Aidou stared blankly back at him. "I… I, um… I'm not sure…" he stuttered. "You're smart; I thought you could help me."

His cousin sighed and ran a hand through his tousled orange hair. "If you really want me opinion, this whole thing sounds foolish to me. The last thing you should do is tell Kaname flat out, but then if you don't tell him and he finds out for himself later – which I have no doubt of – you're as good as dead anyway. On the other hand, it might not be that good an idea to tell Yuuki either. She might not feel the same way, and then you could lose what short friendship you've had with her." He paused, watching his cousin's face uninterestedly. Aidou blinked at him incredulously.

"You're telling me I should forget about it and give up, aren't you?" he asked bitterly. Kain shrugged. Aidou exhaled heavily. So much for the "Akatsuki's wise advice" idea. "Fine. I'll just figure it out by myself." He turned for the door to his cousin's bedroom, but Kain's voice stopped him.

"Hanabusa. Whatever you end up doing, don't die." His voice was deadly serious. Aidou just nodded, his jaw firmly set, and left.

* * *

"Yuuki-sama, I'm sorry."

Yuuki looked up reluctantly from her book, fighting to keep her face cheerful. She still couldn't help but feel hurt by how Aidou had brushed her off the night before, but she wouldn't let him see. He'd obviously been upset about something, so she couldn't blame him. Still…

"A-Aidou-senpai, what do you have to apologize for? You didn't do anything."

Aidou frowned. Planting his palms on Yuuki's desk, he leaned forward, his eyes piercing the vampire princess. "I did," he insisted. "I was rude to you last night, and there was no reason for it. I'm sorry."

Yuuki stared at him, shocked. He was so close. She could feel her heart rate increasing against her ribs, her breathing becoming more and more shallow. She willed herself not to blush, but she didn't think she succeeded. Slowly, Yuuki set her book down, the contents forgotten.

"A-Aidou-senpai… Aidou…"

Aidou, his face still grim and serious, lowered his eyes and straightened up. Yuuki's private study suddenly seemed like such a small place. Stuffy. Smothering. He'd come in so confident and ready, but now his resolve was shattering before his eyes. What if Yuuki didn't feel the same way? What if Kaname found out? He'd be dead meat…

"I-I… Yuuki-sama, I… I mean, Yuuki…"

Yuuki started. He'd called her by her name, without the annoying honorific he'd been using for so long. It sounded… strange. And nice. Very nice. "Y-Yes…?"

Aidou swallowed hard, trying to find enough saliva in his mouth to speak. "Well, you see, I… That is, I, um…"

"Yes?"

"I-"

"Hanabusa."

Both vampires started at the voice of the pureblood. Aidou felt his heart stop painfully in his chest. His breath caught. He felt cold all over. Turning slowly towards the door, he tried to prepare for the cold eyes that were boring into him. But he couldn't.

Kaname Kuran's sharp crimson eyes were locked onto him, piercing, tearing his courage to shreds. Painful chills racked his spine. Aidou knew that, with that look on the pureblood's face, he was about to die.

Yuuki stood up behind him. "K-Kaname-oniisan!"


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Nope... still don't own it...

**We're Not Meant To Be**

**Chapter 5**

**...And Still So Far  
**

"You were planning to take Yuuki away from me," Kaname said simply, his voice as cold and dead as a vengeful ghost's. Yuuki gasped, not only at the pure fury in her brother's quiet voice, but also at what he was implying. Aidou just stood perfectly still, frozen with fear.

Yuuki recovered first. Stumbling around her desk, she ran in front of Aidou and spread her arms defensively, trying to keep her limbs from shaking too hard. "Kaname-oniisan, please! Please don't hurt Aidou!" Kaname turned his hard red eyes on her. They seemed hollow. He was seeking blood. "Please, I beg you!"

"Yuuki, step aside please," her brother requested calmly, as if he were asking her to open her window or wash her hands. Yuuki's teeth clenched hard together.

"No," she said firmly. Kaname's eyes narrowed so minutely Yuuki wasn't sure it had even happened. "Why are you angry with Aidou? What has he done?"

"I've already said it. He wants to take you from me."

"Someone will take me from you someday!" Yuuki shouted back. "Be it Aidou or someone else, they'll come and offer me their future, and if I choose I will give them mine! _I_ will choose!" Kaname's hand flexed. Yuuki closed her eyes. It wounded her deeply to cross her brother this way. She knew she was causing him great pain. But this time she would not back down. He could not own her. She would not let him anymore. "Kaname-"

"Please Yuuki, don't talk back to me," Kaname interrupted. His eyes narrowed to bloody slits. "It is true that someone MAY take you from me someday, but it will not be today, and it will not be YOU." He took a step forward, looking right at Aidou. "You who are shallow and selfish, only concerned about your own desires. You cannot give Yuuki what she wants or needs. You are even worse than Kiryu Zero." He spat the name like he was talking about a vermin.

Yuuki's anger boiled over. She took a step towards her brother to protest, but Aidou grabbed her shoulder and halted her. Shocked, Yuuki turned to look at him. The blond vampire's face was hard and cold, determination making his blue eyes shine. Gently, he pulled Yuuki out from in front of him. Kaname's hand flexed again, and Yuuki's window shattered into a million pieces. Yuuki screamed as the shards of glass flew around the room in a deadly whirlwind, tearing at the curtains, burying into the walls, slicing skin. Not her skin.

"What makes you think YOU can give Yuuki what she wants or needs?" Aidou demanded, hissing loudly. His own sapphire eyes went bloody red with bold fury. Cuts appeared all over his arms and face, his sides and legs and chest. He remained standing, his anger fueling his determination. Yuuki had never seen Aidou so furious – and so stupidly brave. He was standing against a pureblood, one who could tear him apart in less than a second if he chose – and he was close to. And all of it… for her? Yuuki didn't know whether to be horrified or flustered.

"All you've ever done is treat Yuuki like she's stupid and take away her freedom!" Aidou went on, his voice shaking, but from anger or fear, Yuuki couldn't be sure. "If you think attempting to control someone forever is giving them what they need, and if you call oppression love, then I hope Yuuki lives the rest of her eternity entirely alone-"

Kaname lunged. Yuuki screamed. But it was already over.

Aidou dropped to the floor like a limp doll, his eyes distant, blood pooling under his chest. Yuuki screamed again, scrabbling to get to his side. A hand clamped down on her arm from behind, holding her back.

"KANAME, NO!!" Blind with tears, she whirled around, swinging her shaking fist. She hit Kaname squarely in the chest, but he didn't seem to notice. Practically dragging her, he headed for the door. "NO!!" Yuuki screeched again, reaching for Aidou's body sprawled on the floor. Her fingers brushed his hand, then she was yanked away. "NO!! AIDOU!!"

Suddenly, Kain rushed in from the hall. "Kaname-sama, what's going-" He froze as soon as his eyes saw the body. "H-Hanabusa…" Kaname brushed past him, dragging the still screaming Yuuki behind him, but Kain did not notice. He just stood in the doorway for a long time, staring, frozen with shock and grief.

Then he fell to his knees and wept.

* * *

"I HATE YOU, KANAME!!! I HATE YOU!!! FOREVER!! FOREVER!!!"

Yuuki beat her now-bruised fist against the locked door, though her tears were coming so fast and so thick she could barely see it. Her whole body shook with sobs, and her chest ached from screaming and gasping so hard. She couldn't feel her throat. And still she screamed. Wherever Kaname had gone after he'd locked her in the basement, he would hear her, she was certain. And he would hurt, she would MAKE certain.

With one last scream, Yuuki fell back from the door, hitting her head hard on the floor. She couldn't feel the pain. It wouldn't have mattered anyway if she did. Choking on her tears she curled into a shivering ball and cried bitterly.

"It's my… f-f-fault…" she sobbed. "All my… f-fault… K-Kaname, you… mons-st-ster…" Horrible images flashed through her mind, burning into her soul, making her scream again. She covered her ears, trying to block out the hiss of glass whirling through the air, and Aidou's last words. She would spend her eternity alone at this rate, if all she ever did was hurt the people she loved. Or get them killed…

Sobbing harder, Yuuki just lay in a ball on the dirty basement floor, drowning in her misery and loneliness. She would spend her eternity there for all she cared now.

* * *

"Kaname-sama, I request a month's leave from your services in order… so I can… give my cousin a proper funeral service."

"You were never officially in my services. Do whatever you like. And don't feel obliged to return."

"Thank you, Kaname-sama."

Kain kept his face smooth and emotionless as he left the pureblood's office, but he knew his eyes were still clearly red, and not from hunger, giving away his grieving. Kaname hadn't so much as spared him a glance during they're three-sentence conversation. Kain's stomach churned.

As soon as he'd entered his own room and the door was shut and locked, he began furiously packing. Anything within his reach was snatched and thrown in his suitcase. This consisted of a second shirt, a jacket, his scarf, and a large wad of cash he had hidden from Aidou between the matresses. The suitcase was barely a quarter of the way full. Good.

Slipping silently out of his bedroom, Kain stalked down the hallway to Aidou's room, and, afterwards, raided the linen closet. Next came the kitchen, which he used to fill the small remaining space in his suitcase. In his rush out the door, Kain nearly ran headlong into Ruka.

"A-Akatsuki!" Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her pale cheeks were still wet with tear-tracks. She spotted his now-full suitcase. "Where are you-"

"I'm taking my cousin's body and informing our family of what has happened," Kain answered, forming the words carefully, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "Then I'm going to a funeral."

Ruka lowered her eyes, sniffing. "You know I… I always thought Aidou was annoying… But now that he's…" Tears began to fall again, and she hid her face in her hands. "I don't know what to do, Kain! Kaname-sama did this, but it's such a monstrous, heartless thing to do… I just don't want to believe it!"

Kain hesitated, then wrapped his free arm around Ruka's shoulders and hugged her awkwardly. She rested her head against his chest and sobbed into his coat, all the while trying to gain some composure and failing.

"I'm going with you," she said at last, not pulling away just yet. "I can't take it here anymore. Let Kaname-sama and Yuuki deal with each other alone. I'm tired of others being caught up in it."

"You can't," Kain said quietly. "I know it sounds harsh, but you need to look after Yuuki now. She has it worse than all of us. I need you to comfort her somehow."

"Kain, I-" Ruka began to protest, but Kain cut her off.

"Aidou would have wanted it."

Silenced, Ruka just nodded, gave him a final quick embrace, and hurried down the hall. Kain watched her go, feeling a deep pang of guilt as he did. She was suffering. Yuuki was suffering even more. And all for something they each partially (or wholly) blamed on themselves. He also hated leaving both girls in the house of his cousin's attacker.

_I don't know what will happen next_, he thought, _as he made his way quickly down the hall, but I hope you two will be all right. I'll come back for you as soon as possible… and I'll take you both away from this place forever._


	6. Chapter 6

Please, please, PLEASE review! I thank everyone who's been a constant reviewer, but I think there are more people who are reading this story than are reviewing, and I would really like to hear from you. :) I have no life, so checking for reviews and getting feedback really makes my day. XD So please, REVIEW!!!

Disclaimer: If I owned Vampire Knight, this story would be cannon, which it obviously isn't... XD

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 6**

**Broken Beyond Repair  
**

Ruka opened the door to complete darkness and silence. Silence, that is, until she heard the muffled sniffles coming from somewhere in the inky black shadows. Flipping the light switch by the door on quickly, Ruka gasped when she saw the vampire princess lying in a shivering ball on the cold stone floor, her trembling fists bleeding and bruised, and her eyes red and swollen from bitter crying. She was staring at nothing, her eyes distant and frightening.

"Turn it off…" she mumbled, her voice hoarse and barely above a whisper of a breath. "The light… it hurts…" Ruka obediantely turned the light off, leaving them both in utter darkness again. Carefully, she stumbled over to where Yuuki lay and sat down next to her.

"Yuuki-sama…" Awkwardly, but still very tenderly, she laid a hand on Yuuki's trembling shoulder. She rubbed the vampire princess's forearm back and forth, trying to sooth her. "…I'm so sorry…"

"Ka-Ka-Kanam-me…" Yuuki hiccupped through her sobs, whispering so softly she almost made no noise, "H-How could h-he-he do such a thi-i-ng… I ne-never-r-r thought h-he c-could-"

"I don't know," Ruka said almost as quietly. "I just don't know… It makes some sense, but not enough to make any sense…" She sighed heavily. "Though I suppose that doesn't make any sense either."

"You d-d-don't-t like me-e, Ruka. W-Why are you being s-so kind?"

"… Because Kain asked me to," she answered simply. "And I don't know when I'll see him again, so I had no choice but to do what he said. After… what's happened, I couldn't refuse what he told me…"

"H-h-he went-t to bur-y-y A-A-Ai…" She couldn't finish the name before she broker down again. Gently, Ruka pulled Yuuki into her lap and held her there, rocking her back and forth as she cried and cursed herself. "It's my fault, Ruka! It's my fault, all of it! Everyone I love is cursed! It's all my fault…"

* * *

_It's all my fault_, Kain thought bitterly, slamming his foot harder down on the gas pedal. The car lurched, gaining speed at an alarming rate down the empty country road. _I should have told Hanabusa to give up! He may have been upset, and he may have hated me, but at least nothing like _this_ would have happened!_ Glancing worriedly into the backseat for nearly the thousandth time, Kain hissed at the blood smeared over the seats, oozing from his cousin's bound wounds. _Blast, I'll have to stop to rewrap them soon. Please hang in there, Aidou, it's not much further!!_

"Uuuungh…"

Startled, Kain took his foot off the gas and fought his urge to slam it down onto the brakes. Easing the car to the side of the road, he stopped painfully slowly, then struggled with his seatbelt for a whole minute trying to free himself before finally twisting around to look at his cousin. Aidou's eyes weren't open, and his chest was barely moving, but he'd made a sound, the first one since his attack.

"Aidou, if you can hear me, don't move," Kain ordered sharply, in the commanding voice he rarely ever took, and Aidou rarely listened to, though he prayed this time he would. "It'll only make your wounds bleed more. I bandaged them as best as I could, but I'm no doctor. Don't worry, though, I'm taking you to a safe place."

Aidou made no sign that he had heard his cousin, or even that he was still alive. He's lost too much blood, his body is barely able to function anymore, Kain thought grimly, tearing off his jacket and pulling his shirt sleeve up. Holding his bare arm in front of Aidou's face, Kain let one of his claws slide over his palm, slicing the skin cleanly. Blood rose to the surface, and Kain closed his hand into a fist, squeezing more blood from the wound. When he opened his hand again, his whole palm was painted a shimmering, warm red.

"You need blood to heal, Aidou," Kain said loudly, hoping the vampire would hear. "Drink, or you'll die before we go another five miles!"

"Toooooooo… ssssssleeeeeeeeeeepyyyy," his cousin breathed, his head sagging to one side.

"Idiot!" Kain shouted, clamping his palm over Aidou's partially open mouth, squeezing hard so that more blood oozed from his cut. "Drink, you fool!"

"Yuuuuuuuu… kkkiiiiiiii…" Aidou gurgled. The movement of his lips let some blood run in over his tongue. Kain started as Aidou's fangs instantly clamped into his hand, sinking deep into the skin, sucking mightily.

"Not so fast…" he gasped, "Not so fast, you idiot, or you'll kill your only chance at living!" Aidou paid him no attention. He just continued to drink deeply. Kain's head spun. He felt fuzzy. He must still be unconscious! he realized. He's drinking subconsciously. No wonder he won't stop…

"Stop!" Kain ordered, trying to pull away. Aidou's fangs clamped down harder. "Stop, Aidou!!" he shouted again. His vision blurred again, and his head swam faster. He felt warm, then cold, then warm again. "Snap out of it!" he cried, backhanding Aidou across the face, firmly, but not hard enough to cause damage. Aidou release him and fell back against the seat, gasping like a fish out of water. Wrapping his hand quickly with one of the spare towels he'd grabbed, Kain shook his head, murmuring something under his breath. "Time to bandage those wounds again," he said aloud, getting serious again as he repositioned his cousin on the backseat. "Just don't die…"

* * *

Ruka stayed with Yuuki in the dark all that night, and the next day. Kaname made no noise from the house above them, nor did he come down to check on them.

It's like no one exists in the house but him now, Ruka thought sadly. How could he be so cruel? He may have acted it before, but he was never really heartless. He's always cared. Always…

Yuuki, sound asleep, wrapped in an extra jacket Ruka had fetched, stirred. Blinking her eyes sluggishly, she slowly sat up, like a zombie rising from the grave. She was pale as the snow outside, with thick rings under her swollen red eyes, her hair was a perfectly ratted mess, and her clothes were covered in dirt from the floor. Ruka helped her gently to her feet and, with her arms wrapped securely around the vampire princess's shoulders for support, immediately led her towards the door. No matter what Kaname wanted done with his "dear" little sister as punishment, Ruka wouldn't let her go on in such a pathetic state. As they walked the halls, all was perfectly silent and still. No sign of Kaname.

Suddenly, Yuuki froze. Ruka looked up to see Kaname standing at the end of the hall. His eyes were fixed on Yuuki. And Yuuki's eyes were practically boring through him. Ruka could feel the cold fury radiating from the pureblood girl, so strong it sent chills all through her body. Emboldened by Yuuki's rage, Ruka opened her mouth to give Kaname a piece of her mind, but at that very moment, every window along the outside wall of the hallway shattered. Yuuki's chest heaved as she exhaled shakily, releasing more energy that put cracks in the walls. Kaname just held her gaze, his face perfectly emotionless. Ruka realized that now was the worst time for a battle, taking into account Yuuki's physical state of exhaustion and her overwhelming, uncontrolled wrath. She would only end up hurting herself.

Gently, Ruka squeezed Yuuki's shoulders. "Not now, Yuuki-sama," she whispered into her ear. "Not here. Aidou wouldn't want it."

Yuuki's shoulders sagged, as if weighed down by a horrible burden. She allowed Ruka to steer her right into the bathroom, where a warm bath was drawn for her and then she was left alone.

"Even you are angry with me, Ruka?"

Ruka automatically flinched when she realized that the pureblood was standing right beside her. His emotionless mask had come away, revealing sorrowful crimson eyes that made her heart tear inside her. Her anger wasn't completely forgotten, but it was nearly snuffed out. The best thing she could do was stutter.

"K-Kaname-sama… why? Why would you…? How could you…? What about Yuuki??" she eventually managed.

Kaname stared straight ahead, then down at the floor, which was covered with broken glass. "This is for her. All of it." Then he turned on Ruka, his eyes firm, but gentle. "I am always thinking of her. Do not assume otherwise. Ever." With that, he turned and walked away down the hall, his shoes crunching on shards of glass.

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it...

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 7**

**Bloody Horizon  
**

Kain turned off the car engine. The headlights faded away, leaving him in darkness. The trees seemed to close in around him, their black limbs reaching for the car, like they were puppets of Kuran Kaname there to finish off his cousin and himself along with him. Gritting his teeth, Kain opened the door, pushing his fear out of the way firmly.

He'd barely closed the door when he heard the click of a familiar gun.

"If you kill me, the Chairman will be angry."

"You reek of blood. What happened, Akatsuki?"

Kain remained silent for a moment, staring undaunted down the barrel of Bloody Rose, studying the vampire holding it. He wasn't about to open the door to the backseat where his bleeding cousin lay helpless if Zero Kiryuu were even the slightest bit hungry. He was still feeling weak after Aidou had nearly drained him, and probably wouldn't be able to hold off a hungry human-turned-vampire. Even though he knew it would piss Zero off, he asked,

"When did you feed last?"

Zero's pale lavender eyes narrowed, but he answered bitterly, "I took some blood tablets a few hours ago." He didn't say whether he was able to keep them down or not, but Kain figured that Zero would mention it if he hadn't. Slowly, he opened the back door of the car. Zero's eyes widened in shock.

"Is that… Aidou Hanabusa??" He demanded, lowering his gun and clamping his free hand over his nose and mouth to ward off the metallic scent. "What happened? Where's Yuuki?"

"I'll explain later," Kain replied, beginning to carefully slide Aidou out of the backseat. "Right now I need to get him to the Chairman. He'll know what to do."

Zero kept his distance, his hand still clamped over his face, as Kain carried Aidou through the trees to Cross Academy. It wasn't long until they reached the door to Chairman Cross's office. Thankfully, the light was still on inside. Zero reached to open the door, but his hand hadn't touched the knob before Kain felt a presence behind them.

"Hanabusa looks really beat up," Rima remarked. Kain looked at her, into her eyes, and saw that the concern that was void from her voice filled her eyes instead. Shiki was in front of him in that second, and he stared at Hanabusa with that same look in his eye, but he didn't say anything. Ichijo, too, was there, though he was more outspoken than Shiki.

"Aidou-kun! What happened to him?!" he cried, his green eyes wide. Shiki eyed him exasperatedly, then just opened the door.

* * *

Yuuki stared out the window into the moonlit, snow covered trees beyond, taking one, deep, shaky breath after another. In through the nose, out through the nose, with her teeth gritted behind her quivering lips. She dared not blink, for fear it would bring the tears again. She dared not let her mind wander, for fear that same scene would play in her mind for the thousandth time. She was so tired of crying.

And yet, she still wanted to.

It was like her own masochistic punishment. She dwelt on it, and tried to avoid it at all costs. She kept the pain locked inside her heart, smothering, suffocating, and she wanted so badly to release it that it ached every time she breathed. Ruka was kind to her, always caring for her and staying by her side, silent and watchful, but never crowding. Yuuki knew she could see how she punished herself, and the vampire princess was grateful that she remained silent on the subject. This was something personal that Ruka could not help her with.

Suddenly, Yuuki saw a shadow shoot through the trees. Squinting, she stood from her chair by the window and moved closer, waiting for whatever it was to come into the light. The shadow darted through the woods again, closer to the house, fast as a bullet. If Yuuki's vision weren't enhanced by her pure vampire blood, she never would have seen it. But even with her pure vampire blood, she couldn't make out who it was – who was making their way closer to the house with each swooping, shadowed movement.

"What…?"

All of a sudden, the black shape reared up in front of the window. Startled, Yuuki fell back just as the window burst open and the figure shot through. It landed on the floor before her on one knee, head bowed, right hand over its heart. Immediately, Yuuki knew who it was.

The door flew open behind her and Ruka rushed in. "Yuuki-sama, what- Seiren!!"

The violet-haired vampire raised her head. "Kuran Yuuki-sama, I have come here to pledge my loyalty to you… and you alone."

* * *

"Aidou-kun!!" Cross exclaimed, shooting up from his desk. "Kain-kun, what's happened?!"

"I'll explain everything," Kain promised, "but first Aidou needs immediate attention. I bandaged his wounds as best as I could, but-"

"Yes, of course," the Chairman interrupted, waving his hand. "I'll call the nurse's office so she's ready for you. I wish I could send him to the hospital, but being an injured vampire, he could attack someone at any time. In our offices it's much easier to keep an eye on him, and to erase any memories if something goes wrong. Hopefully it will be enough… Go on, I'll be right behind you." He was already dialing the number when he finished speaking. Kain lost no time in rushing through the building to the nurse's office, Zero, Ichijo, Shiki, and Rima right behind him.

The nurse met them outside the door, her face white as a sheet. She hurried them to a bed, where Kain laid his cousin. The nurse began pulling off his bloody bandages, going more and more pale until she was nearly translucent.

"He must be taken to the hospital," she finally said. "His wounds are too serious to be treated here. His chest has been punctured, and there could be internal damage to his lungs and maybe his spinal cord and-" She reached for the phone, but Kain's hand snatched her wrist away before she could even touch it. He looked her right in the eye, and she flinched away.

"He _must_ stay here. He _can't_ go to the hospital. Do everything you can do, and I'll do the rest," he ordered gravely, his voice so firm that the nurse couldn't argue. She even forgot to breath for a few seconds. Finally, she swallowed and nodded.

"I'll do everything possible," she promised. "You'll all have to leave, though."

"I'm staying," Kain said. Again, the poor nurse couldn't argue with him.

"Get better, Hanabusa," Rima said quietly as she followed Shiki out the door. Ichijo hesitated after them, then left as well. Zero remained where he was, his eyes fixed suspiciously on Kain.

"Akatsuki…" he warned.

"I'll explain everything as soon as he's stable."

"Where's Yuuki?"

"…She's… This has nothing to do with her," he answered reluctantly. He had been about to say, "She's safe," but he wasn't so sure about that. He knew could take care of herself, and Yuuki would be in good hands under her watchful eye, but he knew that she was still no match for a pureblood. Better to lie and get Zero off his back then to explain everything and have Bloody Rose pointed at his head. He'd have to get the Chairman in private to explain matters.

Zero's eyes narrowed to icy slits, but Kain held his glare steadily. Finally, the silver-haired vampire turned and stalked out of the room. Kain turned back to his cousin, watching grimly as each of his injuries were revealed again as the nurse replaced his old bandaged for fresh ones.

"He needs a blood transplant…" the nurse murmured to no one in particular.

Leave that to me, Kain thought. Still, he worried that even with the nurse and himself doing all they could, it might be too late for Aidou.

* * *

"What did you say?" Yuuki breathed, shocked. Seiren was Kaname's unofficial body guard! She was more loyal than even Ruka, and had nearly killed Zero for pulling Bloody Rose on him. How could she turn away from him?

"I saw what Kuran Kaname-sama did to Hanabusa Aidou, and I believe he acted wrongly…" Seiren paused when she noticed Ruka's incredulous glare. "_Very_ wrongly, towards Kuran Yuuki-sama. After much debate, I am here to pledge my services to you. Use me as you will." She bowed her head again, awaiting Yuuki's orders. The vampire princess just stared at her.

"You could be a spy for Kaname-sama," Ruka accused, placing her hands protectively on Yuuki's shoulders. "How do we know-"

"N-no, Ruka-senpai," Yuuki protested. "I don't think she would do that."

Seiren nodded, keeping her head bowed. "Thank you for your confidence, Kuran Yuuki-sama. I am not a spy. My skills lie in combat, not in deception. And I would never attempt to deceive a pureblood. In truth, I am here to protect you, should something else happen, and I am here to help you escape."

"Escape?!" Yuuki and Ruka repeated in unison.

"What else were you planning to do?" Seiren demanded of Ruka, giving her an incredulous look.

"Well…" Ruka hesitated. "Kain-senpai… he… I'm not sure what he was planning to do after the, um…" She glanced at Yuuki, and decided not to finish the sentence. "What if he comes back for Yuuki and I, and we're not here? And what will Kaname do if he catches us trying to leave?"

"He won't," Seiren replied firmly. "If we leave this minute and keep moving at a steady pace, we might have a chance to make it to a safe place. Kuran Yuuki-sama, do you have someplace in mind?"

Yuuki knew immediately where she wanted to go. It was safe for Ruka and Seiren… and there was someone there who could help her. He wouldn't hesitate to do it either. Smiling gravely, she nodded. "We should go to Cross Academy. It's close by, and the Chairman will gladly take us in."

"But Kiryuu Zero is there," Ruka hissed at the name. "He swore he would kill you if he ever saw you again!"

"Yes…" Yuuki whispered to herself. "I know…"

* * *

Deep crimson eyes watched the three sleek shadows disappear into the trees, into the blackness of night. His heart ached, but he ignored it. This was the right thing. This was his plan.

"You have three days, Hanabusa Aidou," Kaname murmured to himself, his eyes following the path he knew the three young women were taking through the forest. "…Use them wisely."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I'm eeeeeeevil... But I still don't own Vampire Knight. :/

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 8**

**Wasted  
**

Aidou was sleeping. His wounds were dressed professionally, and he looked like he was recovering. But Kain knew better. On the outside his wounds may seem to be healing, but inside…

That nurse needs to leave soon, he thought. If she could just run to the bathroom or something, it would give me a chance to give Aidou some blood. He needs it very badly… As a vampire, he's able to heal quickly, but wounds inflicted by a pureblood are much harder to heal, and with so many deep gashes and the stab wound in his chest…

Kain swallowed hard, sighing raggedly. He let his head fall back and thump into the wall behind the bench he sat on. He hated being in the waiting room, but he was thirsty, and all the blood inside the patient's room was getting to him. Morning had come and gone, and he already hadn't slept for three days straight. His energy was running low. But his anxiety and suspicion was growing more by the minute. He felt like hands were slowly wrapping around his neck, tightening their grip, ready to crush him.

I have to talk to Chairman Cross in private, he thought. But Zero is watching my every move. If he knows that Kaname was behind this, and that it involves Yuuki-sama, he'll flip. He may have sworn to kill her, but I know he still loves Yuuki. It's too obvious… I suppose Aidou has more competition than he bargained for. If he even…

"Akatsuki-san?"

Kain opened his eyes. The nurse was watching him with concern.

"You should get some sleep, Akatsuki-san," she said softly. "You look exhausted. Besides, Hanabusa-san is resting now. I promise I'll call you as soon as he wakes up."

Kain stood up. "Okay… Just let me have a few minutes." The nurse smiled sympathetically and nodded.

Closing the door to the patient's room behind him, Kain yanked his sleeve up, bit his palm, and stuck his bleeding hand in front of Aidou's mouth. Unconsciously, his cousin bit.

* * *

Pulling her coat tighter, Yuuki quickened her pace through the snow. Ruka followed on her left, Seiren on her right. The biting cold felt good against her skin. It awakened her senses, and walking helped get her blood pumping again, her heat pounding. It felt good to move after what seemed like so long just sitting still, trying not to think, and the chilly wind blowing through her helped keep her mind off the past. Now she looked to the future, her one comfort. She felt a sad sort of relief in what she knew awaited her at Cross Academy. She wouldn't have to endure this pain for very much longer.

"How long will it take us to reach Cross Academy?" Ruka asked Seiren. Yuuki tried to ignore the tired undertone in her voice, but she couldn't help but hear it. They'd been walking fast for several hours straight, with no breaks and no sleep. The sun had already risen, and they were all getting tired of it's hard glare, but the woods were thinner now, and the shadows were weak. Yuuki just used her scarf to shade her face, and kept her hands hidden in her coat, but the bare parts of her legs were stinging.

"This shortcut should get us there by midnight or early morning," Seiren answered, wrapping her own scarf around her head. "We can't afford to stop for rest," she added, anticipating Ruka's next question.

"But Yuuki-sama needs rest!" Ruka protested. "She hasn't had a decent night's sleep in several days-"

"I'm all right," Yuuki interrupted. She would be enjoying the deepest sleep soon enough.

_Why can't I just live for revenge? Isn't that enough to give me the purpose to stay alive? …No… No matter how much I hate him, I can't kill Kaname. I don't know why… But I can't. And I will not die by his hand. If I fought him, he'd only kill me, and I won't die that way…_

Seiren suddenly put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Kuran Yuuki-sama…" she began, but hesitated. "…I believe I know why you wish to go to Cross Academy… Are you certain?"

Yuuki blinked, then smiled softly, sadly. "My brother has betrayed me, my childhood friend wishes to kill me, and… and Aidou is… d-dead. I've tried to make things work out right, but I always only make people suffer. I don't want to have to make that mistake anymore."

"But Kuran Yuuki-sama, you are a pureblood!" Seiren exclaimed, her calm breaking. "Your kind is rare! Think about what you're doing to the rest of your kind. It is the goal of the vampire race as a whole to protect the purebloods! If you die, it will throw us into chaos, like when the pureblood Shizuka Hiou was murdered. And think of Kiryuu Zero as well! If you allow him to kill you, he will forever be the target of other purebloods, as well as the nobles. With all due respect, you are being selfish. If you act on your whim, it will make things worse for everyone else. Is that what you want?!"

"Yuuki-sama…" Ruka gasped. "You _wanted_ Kiryuu to kill you??"

"Would Aidou have wanted this?" Seiren added.

Of her entire speech, those words cut Yuuki the deepest. She sucked in a sharp breath like she'd been slapped. Tears were coming fast. Her composure shattered. Collapsing onto the snow, she buried her face in her hands and just wept bitterly.

* * *

The sun was setting on their first day at Cross Academy, and Kain was ready to pass out. Aidou was looking better for now, but soon the fresh blood fueling his body's immune system would run out, and he would be struggling for his life again. And Kain didn't have that much more blood to spare.

"It doesn't matter," he hissed to himself, slamming his head back against the wall of the waiting room. "If he needs it, I'll give all the blood I have in my body. I'll-"

"Or I could make a donation, if you like!" A cheery voice piped up beside him. Startled, Kain shouted and almost fell off the bench. Standing over him was Cross Kaien, smiling like he'd just aced a test. Kain stared at him, bewildered and slightly disturbed. How could he be so happy at a time like this?!

"Chairman… What… Where…?"

"I'm sorry I'm so late, but your cousin's dear nurse has been complaining to me all day about how we should move Aidou-kun to a hospital," Kaien apologized happily. Then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, he was sobered. Sitting on the bench, he continued, "Am I to assume that his injuries were cause by a pureblood?"

Kain hesitated. Zero could be stalking the hall outside, listening. The Chairman understood his reluctance and waved his hand dismissingly, smiling again.

"Worry not, Kain-kun! I sent Zero on night patrol. Whatever needs to be said, you can say without fear!"

"Fine… Yes. A pureblood attacked him." He hesitated again, knowing what faith the Chairman had in Kuran Kaname. But Keian wanted the truth, so he would get it. "Kuran Kaname attacked him," he said flatly.

The Chairman rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his folded hands, completely silent. Kain glanced at him, noting Kaien's hands were shaking hard.

"Why?"

"Aidou… He's liked Yuuki from the beginning, and he finally decided to take their relationship seriously. Kaname felt that his bond with Yuuki was being threatened, so he… he tried to silence my cousin."

"That cannot be…"

Kain was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth to protest, but the Chairman held up a hand to stop him.

"Not that I don't believe your story, Kain-kun. Unfortunately, it seems all too possible. But there is both a gap and a problem in your story." The Chairman paused, then looked straight at him, his eyes hard and piercing. "The problem is, if Kaname truly wanted to 'silence' Aidou as you said, your cousin would be dead. A pureblood does not make the mistake of leaving his prey alive if they wish them dead."

"That's been bothering me all day as well," Kain admitted, feeling a bit nervous under Keian's gaze.

"But there is still the gap," Keian continued, his voice growing dark and ominous like a black thundercloud. "Where is Yuuki?"

* * *

It had been only a few months since she'd seen Cross Academy, but it all seemed so different now. So… dull. Yuuki stared at the dorm buildings, the trees, the fountains, everything, without really seeing any of it. She could smell him. Any second now she'd hear the familiar click of the Bloody Rose gun…

Ruka glanced around nervously. "Yuuki-sama… Are you sure about this?"

Yuuki nodded. "Yes. You may stay here, if-"

"Of course not, Yuuki-sama!" Ruka burst out. "I'm staying with you!" She paused, then added, "Which is more than I can say for Seiren…"

"Seiren is doing her duty," Yuuki replied. "She is supposed to be silent and unseen until the right moment, so that's what she's doing."

Ruka frowned, but nodded. "Of course, Yuuki-sama…"

Suddenly, Yuuki heard it. The sound she'd been anticipating all day, that faint click. She looked up, and suddenly, he was standing in front of her, his gun level with her chest. Yuuki had thought she was ready to see him, but when her eyes met his, her heart and stomach jolted inside her.

"Z-Zero…"

"I swore I would kill you the next time I saw you," Zero said darkly, his eyes boring through her.

Yuuki came to her senses. "And… And I swore I would wait for that day," she replied, her voice shaking a little. "I've kept my word… Zero."

Zero's eyes narrowed further, until they were no more than fiery lavender slits. Yuuki waited silently, keeping her eyes locked with his. They were both silent for a long time, unmoving.

"I won't kill you unless you fight back, Kuran Yuuki," Zero finally growled. Yuuki flinched unwittingly. That was the first time she'd heard him say her name since they'd parted, and he'd spat it out like a curse. Though she tried to stop herself from feeling so, her heart ached deeply. So, he really did hate her now…

"If you want to kill me, go ahead," she said softly, her voice trembling more. "Why should I fight back…?"

"Yuuki-sama!" Ruka cried. "You can't-"

"Let me handle this," Yuuki ordered, not taking her eyes off Zero. "I will do what I wish." Ruka started to protest, then snapped her mouth closed and stepped back.

"So, you wish to die?" Zero questioned. "Why? Is that why you came back?"

Yuuki closed her eyes. "I wish to die… because I'm nothing more than a curse to the people I love. My selfishness caused a man… caused… Aidou Hanabusa… to die. I can't live with myself after all the pain I've caused!" She didn't care that tears were coming down her cheeks, or that she was sobbing openly. "Just do it, Zero! Do it, and we can both be at peace!!"

Zero stared at her in shock. Then his teeth ground together, and he squeezed his eyes shut. "Fine then. You can die, Kuran Yuuki. But just know this…" He opened his eyes, hateful, bitter, smoky lavender eyes, and stared her straight in the eye. His next words were a growl Yuuki almost couldn't understand, but by some miracle, they reached her ears and stopped her heart.

"Your Aidou is still alive."

Then he fired.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long, you guys. But it's twice as long as any of the other chapters, so I guess I have an excuse. XD Thank you so much for all your kind reviews, they really help me get these chapters done faster!

Disclaimer: I'm a hopeless sap... but I still don't own Vampire Knight. XD

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 9**

**Empty Vengeance  
**

"YUUKI-SAMA!!!" Ruka shouted. The explosion nearly knocked her off her feet, and she staggered back. "Yuuki-sama!!"

The dust blinded her for a long moment, but she didn't need to see. A voice answered her.

"Stay back, Ruka-senpai," Yuuki ordered as the clouds of dust dissipated. "If I can't fight a human-turned-vampire alone, I'm no pureblood."

Ruka watched in shock as Yuuki's Artemis rod transformed into her enormous curved blade. She twirled it in her hands like a deadly baton, let it whistle through the air like a deadly fan. Zero fired the Bloody Rose again, and a third time, but the Artemis blade caught every shot. Purposely, Yuuki slowed the rotation of her weapon. She trusted Zero would pause as well. He hesitated.

Suddenly, pain tore through her side. She stared at Zero in shock. He wasn't looking at her. He was looking down, where, the Bloody Rose lay on the concrete. And he was shaking all over. Yuuki dropped to her knees, clutching her side, still staring up at him. Helpless.

_It takes more than that to kill a pureblood! _She thought frantically. _Get up! Get up!!! He knows where Aidou is! He… He really does hate me…_

She'd known he hated vampires. But until the Bloody Rose bullet had shot through her, it hadn't yet dawned on her that he actually hated HER. That he would try to kill HER. She thought he was just talking. But she should have known better. The pain increased a hundred times over when she realized her closest, dearest friend had really deserted her… for something that she couldn't change.

Tears ran down Yuuki's cheeks as she tried to gather her thoughts. "W-Where… is Aidou?" she sobbed. "And why…?"

Zero looked up at her. He was sweating, and breathing shallowly, like he too was in pain. "I swore I would kill you, Yuuki. You… you let your guard down."

Gasping in pain, Yuuki swallowed hard. "I suppose we can never go back, can we?" she whispered, but she knew Zero could hear her. "You've decided to end our friendship because of an ancient, baseless prejudice!" Zero flinched, but Yuuki continued. "I know that vampires killed your family, but that has nothing to do with me, or any of the vampires at Cross Academy. I've told you this a thousand times, but… now it's more personal than ever." She took her hand off her stomach, holding up her blood-stained fingertips. "Will killing me give you satisfaction for Shizuka Hiou killing your parents?! You may have given up on our friendship, but I would still do everything in my power to help you find peace if your means of attaining it were good. Everything EXCEPT die. Aidou needs me, and I won't abandon him."

Zero grit his teeth, his eyes narrowing. In a flash, he had the Bloody Rose back in hand. In the same second, Yuuki was on her feet, carving the air with her weapon. She charged, blocking Zero's shots with the blade, then swung. Metal clashed against metal as Zero blocked with Bloody Rose, though the curved tip of Yuuki's blade dug deep into his left shoulder. They were face to face now, their noses almost touching.

"I don't want to hurt you, Zero! You have no idea how-"

"Save your breath, Kuran Yuuki!" Zero spat. He shoved her away and fired again, but she ducked just in time. "Just fight!" he added.

"Tell me where Aidou is!" Yuuki demanded, blocking again, then flipping out of the way. "Please, Zero!"

"Fight!!" Zero screamed, rapid-firing. Yuuki dived out of the way, swinging as she went. The tip of the blade slashed Zero's left arm, shocking him. Yuuki rolled into a crouch, brandishing her blade, but not charging again. Zero was hurt- That second of hesitation cost her again. Pain shot through her shoulder, then her leg. She cried out and collapsed onto the ground.

Shifting Bloody rose to his left hand and clutching his wounded arm with his right, Zero stood over her, breathing hard and raggedly, though he'd moved little during the battle. Yuuki didn't move.

"Y-Yuuki…" he gasped. "Get up…"

As if she heard his order, Yuuki stirred, struggling to raise herself up. She looked up at him, eyes blurry with tears of pain and sadness. Through the film of tears, she thought she saw a tear trace Zero's cheek as well, but it was gone so fast she was sure she hadn't seen it.

"You're weak, Yuuki…" Zero hissed. "You've lost."

"I won't die, Zero, but I won't fight you. If I were actually trying, you'd be dead right now…" Yuuki gasped hoarsely. Something suddenly dawned on her then, but the click of Bloody Rose distracted her. She looked up into the barrel of Zero's gun, trying to move, but the pain blinded her with tears again. The sound of the shot firing rang through her ears, as did the sound of it blasting through the cobblestones behind her. No pain followed the noise. Looking up in surprise, Yuuki watched as Zero turned his back to her and walked away.

"Your Aidou is waiting," he growled, then leapt into the trees and disappeared.

"Yuuki-sama!"

Suddenly, Yuuki found herself being lifted off the ground. Seiren held her under one arm, Ruka the other, each supporting her so she could manage some kind of walk.

"Are you all right, Yuuki-sama?!" Ruka demanded.

"You shouldn't have done that, Yuuki-sama," Seiren said quietly. Yuuki could only manage a weak glare.

"Let's take you to the nurse," Ruka suggested, distracting her.

"Take me to Aidou," she ordered instead. "I have to see him…" She tried to take a step forward, and nearly collapsed. Before Ruka and Seiren could catch her, another pair of arms wrapped gently around her.

"Need some help?" a familiar voice asked. Yuuki looked up to see Shiki, the one who had spoken, and Rima standing before her. Ichijo, the one who had caught her, swung her carefully up into his arms, his jaw stiff.

"I can't believe he went far enough to harm a pureblood, and especially Yuuki-sama," he whispered to himself as the group headed for the main building, though Yuuki heard him only too well.

* * *

Light flooded Yuuki's vision, along with the sound of panicked voices and the warmth of strong arms enveloping her completely in a strong hug.

"Yuuki-chan, don't ever do that again!"

"Ch- Father… Father…" Yuuki sighed. The tears finally broke loose, and she sobbed into Keian's shirt uncontrollably, even as he carried her into the patient's room.

"It's okay now, Yuuki-chan. You're safe…" he soothed, rubbing her back, then tenderly laying her down in a second bed.

"Are you crazy, Chairman?!" the nurse screeched. "She has three bullet wounds, two of them serious!!"

"Well… Thank goodness you're here, Seiren, so you can erase this confounded woman's memory when all of this is over…"

"Wha-?!"

"Of course, Cross Keian."

"But what-?!"

"Not to worry, my dear. Just get my daughter's wounds bandaged quickly, and then we can have a cup of tea and a long talk…"

The voices faded away into a hum of jumbled noises as Yuuki began to fade out of unconsciousness. She tried to move, tried to ask someone where Aidou was, but no sound came out of her mouth. Her head lolled to the side as she began to go numb, sinking deeper into the black splotches that were eating away at her vision. Just as she went out, she saw him…

* * *

It was still dark when Yuuki opened her eyes again. Everything hurt badly, and she was still tired and miserable from walking all day and fighting Zero. Suddenly, her last intelligent thought before she had passed out came back to her. Turning her head to the left, Yuuki gasped.

Aidou lay on the bed next to hers, unconscious or just sleeping she couldn't tell. The last time she'd seen him, he was covered in blood. Now he was clean, glowing in the light from the open window. Beautiful.

"Aidou…" Yuuki whispered, reaching for him, though it hurt. Her fingers curled over the unbandaged part of his arm, holding on for dear life. "Aidou-senpai…" Tears of relief squeezed out of the corners of her eyes, following the tracks left by her earlier tears. "I'm here, Aidou-senpai… I'm here…"

Another few minutes and she was able to sit up. Thanks to her pureblood healing abilities, the pain had lessened great deal. Immediately, she tried to stand, but she hadn't swung one leg over the bed before the door burst open.

"Yuuki-chan!!" Cross Keian and Ichijo shouted in unison. They rushed to her bedside, carrying huge armfuls of flowers. Kain, Shiki, and Rima followed after them, Kain going straight to Aidou's bed, Shiki and Rima just standing back to watch. Rima had a card in hand, but she dared not try to give it to Yuuki just yet with Keian and Ichijjo fussing over her.

"Yuuki-chan, daddy's here! Don't be afraid!"

"It's so good to see you're recovering, Yuuki-chan! We brought flowers for you! Please get better soon!"

Overwhelmed, Yuuki fell back against her pillow. She looked over at Aidou, still unconscious. She had to get to him. She had to make him okay…

"Don't crowd her, idiots!" Ruka's voice suddenly ordered. Everyone in the room suddenly stood at attention, save the patients themselves. The golden-haired vampire stormed into the room, snatching every single flower out of Ichijo and Keian's arms and arranging them in a vase on Yuuki's bedside table in seconds, then shooed the two forcefully out of the room. Rima shrugged and placed the card beside the vase, then left as well. Kain lingered.

When the sound had disappeared from the hall, Yuuki swung out of bed and leaned over Aidou's bed. Kain retreated to the far corner by the window, giving them plenty of space.

"…Aidou-senpai…?" Yuuki whispered, leaning closer. "It's me, Yuuki. Please wake up, Aidou…"

No answer. Kain cleared his throat gently, calling Yuuki's attention to him.

"The blood of a pureblood vampire has great healing power," he suggested. "The best thing to help him now is that."

Yuuki nodded. Pulling her sleeve up, she hesitated, then bit deep into her wrist, making the blood flow fast. Kain tensed, but didn't move from his spot in the corner. Bracing herself, Yuuki held her wrist near Aidou's mouth, drops of blood falling on his lips. Like a spring, he was sitting up, his mouth clamped over her arm. Yuuki bit down hard on her tongue to keep from crying out.

Kain was immediately by her side. "He won't let go if you ask him to," he warned. "Just tell me as soon as you start feeling weak, and I'll stop him." Yuuki nodded again, though she didn't really hear him. All she could comprehend was the sound. It was rhythmic, like a heartbeat, and she knew instantly what it was.

_It's the sound of Aidou… drinking my blood…_

Her eyes widened in shock. All she'd noticed whenever Zero drank her blood was the pain, the fear, and the sadness. This was much different. It felt – and sounded - strange… strangely good. She could no longer feel Aidou's fangs in her arm. In fact, her whole body had gone strangely numb. Was she getting weak from blood loss, or was it just because Aidou was drinking her blood? Yuuki couldn't tell.

Kain moved to separate Aidou's teeth from her arm, but Yuuki held up her free hand. "Not yet…"

"You're eyes are rolling back, Yuuki-sama, you're going to faint!" Kain protested, taking a firm hold on Aidou's bottom jaw with one hand, and the rest of his face with the other. He pried the blonde vampire off, shoving him back down on the bed as he struggled and thrashed. "Get those wounds bandaged, now!" he ordered Yuuki firmly.

Staggering back, Yuuki blinked fuzzily, then snapped back into reality. Quickly, she rummaged through the cupboards, found some bandages, and wrapped them tightly around her wrist.

"Try the palm next time, it bleeds much less," Kain suggested as blood soaked through the white bandage. "Humans kill themselves doing things like what you just did."

"Oh, right…" Yuuki agreed, nodding sheepishly.

Aidou's struggling eased until he was lying still again. After a few moments, when nothing more happened, Kain left the room to give Yuuki and his cousin some privacy. Grabbing a chair from the corner, Yuuki set it by Aidou's bedside and collapsed into it, letting her head rest lightly on Aidou's chest, looking up into his face. He seemed so peaceful, and that made Yuuki smile. She could hear his heart pumping rhythmically in her ear, feel the steady rise and fall of his chest. Slowly, she entwined the fingers of her left hand with his right one, squeezing gently. The sun was just beginning to rise…

A few moments later, his hand squeezed back.

Yuuki gasped, remaining perfectly still, holding her breath. For an unbearable minute, nothing more happened. Then, Yuuki could hear his heart rate increase against her ear. Her own heart seemed to race his as her excitement and relief threatened to overwhelm her. His chest rose much higher than before as he took a deep breath. Yuuki had to take a breath with him to keep herself from running out of air. Aidou's eyelids flickered, and yuuki had to keep blinking to try and force the tears back.

"A-Aidou… Aidou-senpai…" she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Aidou's head rolled to the side, facing her. Yuuki immediately sat up, leaning over him.

"Aidou, it's me, Yuuki," she said, a bit louder. Jerkily, anxiously, she ran her fingers through his hair. "Aidou, please wake up."

He groaned very faintly, but it was a sound nonetheless. Yuuki smiled, joyous tears streaming down her face. They landed on Aidou's cheek, and he blinked again.

The sun seemed to pour through the window and over the bed at the same moment when Aidou's eyes came open. Yuuki had never seen a brighter, deeper blue than in those eyes. This time when she ran her hand through his hair, it was smooth and tender, soaked with pure relief.

"Aidou… You're okay…" she sighed, smiling brighter than ever.

Aidou blinked again, his eyes focusing and refocusing, until finally they focused on her. "Y-Yuuki…" he gurgled.

Yuuki's heart swelled at the sound of her name. Her smile widened even more, and, as if she couldn't be happier, she did when she saw the corners of Aidou's mouth turn up in a weak grin. He was going to be okay. It was all going to be okay…

* * *

Every head in the waiting room snapped around when the door from the hall opened. Three growled ferociously. One lunged.

Zero didn't have time to dodge Ruka's open palm. It slapped him solidly across the face, making half the others in the room flinch themselves.

"How _dare_ you show your face here, Kiryuu!" Ruka screeched furiously.

Zero growled low in his throat at the blond vampire. "I just wanted to see-"

"I don't care!" Ruka cut in, standing on her top toes so she could look him in the eye. "You're not welcome here! If you don't want me to kill you personally, you'll leave now and never show your face again!"

Zero growled louder at her, and suddenly he found himself being thrown out of the room and against the hallway wall across from the door. Kain Akatsuki was gripping the front of his shirt with a white knuckled fist, his eyes wild like his nickname claimed.

"Now is not the time nor the place-" Kaien began to warn the enraged vampires, but they didn't hear him. Ichijo took his place on Kain's rleft, and Ruka on his right. Shiki and Rima stood a little back, watching and waiting.

"You're only doing this for your stupid cousin!" Zero snarled at Kain. "You don't care about Yuuki-"

"Maybe that is the reason I'm trying to keep from tearing your head off right here!" Kain hissed back, slamming him harder against the wall. "Maybe Aidou is my reason, and not Yuuki at the moment. But I care more about Yuuki than you do! At least I wouldn't half kill her like you did!"

Zero flinched like he'd been smacked again. He growled again, eyeing Kain murderously. Before Ichijo or Ruka could stop him, he snatched the Bloody Rose from his jacket. The next second it was gone.

Kaien rapped the hand that Kain was gripping Zero's shirt by sharply with Bloody Rose's hilt. It didn't hurt him, but it got the message across. Kain shoved Zero against the wall once more, then released him, his eyes locked with Zero's lavender ones.

"As I said before," the Chairman began again, his voice ringing with authority, and more than a hint of anger, "now is not the time or the place for this sort of thing!" He turned his eyes on Zero, flashing him a look that was a mix of anger and sorrow, then turned away, tossing Bloody Rose back over his shoulder as he went back into the waiting room. Zero caught it easily, his eyes still fixed on Kain, then slipped it back into his jacket.

"Zero!"

Everyone whirled around at the voice. Yuuki was standing in the doorway, staring in shock, but more at Zero or the huge cracks and chunks of loose plaster in the wall behind him no one could tell. The Chairman tried to push her gently back into the waiting room, but she ducked under his arm and out into the hallway. She marched right up to Zero, looking up into his eyes with a fierce expression that he couldn't predict. Everyone waited in silence, unsure what they should do or what would happen next.

"You smell like blood," Yuuki commented suddenly. "Didn't you bandage those wounds?"

Zero was so surprised by the abrupt question that he didn't know how to answer. Yuuki grabbed his wrist and started to drag him off down the hall, shocking everyone else as well.

"Yuuki-sama-!" Ruka began, but Yuuki interrupted her.

"Oh, Kain!" she called cheerfully over her shoulder. "Aidou is awake now! He's looking much better! And thank you for the card, Rima-senpai, Shiki-senpai!!"

Kain immediately hurried back into the nurse's office, leaving the other vampires and the Chairman in the hall, still wondering what to do.

"Should we stop her, Cross?" Shiki asked uninterestedly.

Kaien hesitated, watching his adopted daughter still drag his adopted son down the hall. He sighed, shook his head, and said, "I'll give them one last chance to figure it out on their own. I have faith in Yuuki…"

* * *

Zero was still partly numb as Yuuki dragged him into his room and shut the door behind him. He let Yuuki push him over to the bed, where she sat him down.

"Take you shirt off," she ordered. "I need to bandage those wounds. I can't believe you didn't do it yourself…"

Zero watched as she pulled a roll of gauze out of her pocket, unmoving. He could see how much paler she was from the strength the Bloody Rose bullets had sapped from her, but she was acting just like… just like _his _Yuuki would act. The question was building in his chest, painful, until he was sure he wouldn't be able to contain it.

Yuuki felt him staring at her and glanced down at him. "Well, take your shirt off, silly!" she said, smiling. When she gave an amused laugh, Zero's control shattered.

"Stop that!!" he shouted fiercely.

Yuuki blinked in surprise. "Stop what-"

"Stop acting like nothing's changed!" Zero screamed, standing. He loomed over her, and she suddenly seemed much smaller and weaker. He ignored the face she was making, the familiar, pain-filled, piercing eyes that he knew too well. "Stop pretending like you didn't give me these wounds and I didn't give you yours! We're enemies now! So stop! Just…" His voice failed him there, and he swallowed painfully. "Don't help me. I… I hate you!!"

Yuuki was still staring up at him with those eyes… the same eyes she always gave him when she was afraid she'd hurt him. It made him feel guilty. He didn't want to feel guilty. Turning his face away, he sat back down on the bed, exhausted. Yuuki still stared. Zero turned onto his side, hoping to escape that piercing gaze. It didn't work.

"Why… do we have to be?"

"You're a vampire."

"So are you…"

"You're a pureblood."

"And...?"

"… And I hate purebloods. I hate vampires. And I'll never stop hating them."

"Zero… why?"

Zero squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth. He was running out of reasons, and, even worse, resolve. She sounded like his Yuuki. She _looked_ like his Yuuki. She laughed like her, talked like her, smiled like her, even felt like her. But she didn't smell like his Yuuki. She _wasn't_ his Yuuki. His Yuuki was dead. This girl, this… _thing_ had killed her.

"Because I hate _you_."

The vampire princess was silent for a long time, so long that Zero thought she might have left. But then he heard a muffled sniffling noise.

_No…_ he thought bitterly. _Please don't'…_ He dared not look up, knowing what he would see. "What are you crying for?" he demanded roughly instead.

"That's no reason!" Yuuki cried. "Why do you hate me?! What have I ever done to you to make you _hate_ me? We've been friends for four years, and I know I've messed up a lot, and I'm so sorry for hurting you so many times, but… Zero… Why?!?"

"It's just the way things are!" Zero hissed.

"It doesn't have to be!" Yuuki argued. "I still want to be your friend. I still care about you, Zero! I would do anything for you." She paused, waiting for him to speak. When he remained silent, she sat down on the bed next to him, keeping her eyes on the roll of bandages in her hand as she began to unroll it. To her relief, Zero remained perfectly still as she unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off his wounded arm. The wound seemed fresh, like she'd just made with her Artemis blade.

_I guess it's because Artemis is still an anti-vampire weapon. It still makes wounds harder to heal._

She had Zero sit up, and he complied without a word. His eyes were glued to the floor, intense and brooding, but somehow broken. He was quickly losing strength, not physical, but emotional. He didn't _want_ to hate her, he didn't _want _to be her enemy…

And he most definitely did not want to kill her.

Yuuki bandaged his wounds in silence, and he was surprised how delicately she was doing it, like if she pressed too hard or pulled to tight he might shatter completely. When she was finished, she didn't move. She just stayed where she was, sitting beside him on the bed, staring at the floor, and trying not to cry. Every now and then, she would glance cautiously up at him, trying to gauge his expression and read his thoughts, but she simply couldn't. The silence stretched on.

Then, slowly, Yuuki scooted a bit closer, then a bit more. Zero ignored her, even as she cautiously wrapped her arms around his neck in a tender hug. She rested her head against his chest, still trying to fight the tears back. But she failed in the end. Burying her face in his chest, she wept bitterly, all her pent up frustration and pain pouring forth in large tears that soaked his shirt. At first, Zero didn't move, refusing in vain to give in. But he too failed in the end. Uncertainly at first, then with a bit more confidence, he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his cheek on her head. He breathed in her scent. She still smelled different, like a vampire.

But she cried like his Yuuki.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Man... This story's nearly over! D: I'm estimating about 1-2 more chapters and an epilogue. Bummer... I've had such a great time writing this, and I'm thankful to everyone who's reviewed! You guys are the best, and it's nice to know that I'm not the only AidouXYuuki fan out there! XD Bless you all! You've really helped me keep this story going, and your praise is more than I deserve! I'll post a complete list of faithful reviewers in the epilogue. ^_^ And as a special thank you for them... Nope! I can't say it, it's a surprise! You'll just have to wait... ;)

I hope you enjoy this chapter! ^_^

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 10**

**Is the Sky Blue?  
**

Everything seemed dark and muddled, suffocating. He felt trapped, like someone was strangling him, squeezing the air out of his lungs. He tried to struggle, but his limbs refused to answer him.

Suddenly, warmth flooded his cold consciousness. It wrapped around his mind like a blanket that smothered the pain and fear. Aidou took a deep breath, breathing in the sweet, familiar scent. His spine tingled as fingers tenderly brushed through his hair, over and over. He could hear a murmuring voice, and his name…

Opening his eyes, Aidou found himself staring up into a huge pair of crimson eyes, shaded by thick black eyelashes and light brown bangs. Even though his unconscious mind knew who she was, it took a moment for his still-fuzzy mind to register it. He tried to talk, then realized his mouth was full of something. It tasted sweet, and ran smoothly over his tongue, warming his insides.

_Her hand… It's in my mouth! Why is it…_

"Aidou, you're awake!" Yuuki said, flashing him a dazzling smile. "Finally…" She stroked his hair again with her free hand, and Aidou felt his heart pound. She was so close, he was drinking her blood, and she seemed… happy. Three things he'd wanted for a long, long time.

In the past he'd flattered himself by convincing himself that all three things would come true, that she would fall head over heals in love with him, and let him drink all her blood. Lately, he'd been unsure of the future. Those three wishes had seemed less and less likely… But now, they were all coming true.

Slowly, Aidou pulled his fangs out of Yuuki's palm, licking the wound, keeping his eyes locked with Yuuki's. She smiled fondly at him, but he could see the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. In fact, now that he really looked, her eyes were completely surrounded in red, like she'd been crying for hours.

"Yuuki… What's wrong?!" he demanded, surprised at how weak his own voice was.

She seemed surprised at the question. "Nothing's wrong," she answered certainly. Then she laughed, her smile coming back in full force. "You're awake now, everything's perfect!"

Aidou frowned. "You haven't been crying for me, have you?"

Yuuki blinked, lowering her eyes. "N-No… But it doesn't matter. Everything's better now."

They stared at each other for a long moment, until Aidou realized he was still gripping Yuuki's wrist, holding her hand close to his mouth. He looked down and gazed at her smooth porcelain skin, and the two neat fang marks that broke it.

"You saved my life, Yuuki-sama," he said softly.

"Of course I did!" Yuuki cried. "I thought you were dead! You don't know how…" Her voice broke, but she continued. "You don't know how painful it was… to think I'd lost you forever." Her cheeks burned bright red, and she fell silent.

* * *

"Aidou-senpai, are you sure you're ready to be walking around?"

Aidou walked stiffly under his umbrella, careful to avoid the sunlit edges. Yuuki walked backwards in front of him, not minding the sun, though it was quite a bit more annoying than it had been as a human. Thankfully, it was setting… Behind them, Ichijo, Shiki and Rima (sharing an umbrella), Kain and Ruka (also sharing an umbrella, but with a bit more space between them), and lastly, Zero, followed them through the crowded streets of the town. Seiren kept her distance but Yuuki knew she was there… somewhere. In secret, Yuuki found their little parade of vampires more than amusing, but the reason behind it made her heart sink low in her chest…

"_Yuuki-chan, we have to talk."_

"_Yes, father?"  
_

"_I know you're happy that Aidou is awake. We all are. But there's something that me and Kain have been discussing that we think you should know…"_

"_Yuuki-sama… If Kaname really wanted to kill Aidou, my cousin would be dead and buried right now."_

"…_What are you saying?"_

"_We're saying, Yuuki-chan, that… That, well…"_

"_We're saying we really don't know what Kaname is planning to do."_

"_So until we know for certain what's going on, we want you and Aidou-kun to be accompanied by the others wherever you go. I'm sorry about this, but it's the only way."_

"_It's okay. I understand…"_

_

* * *

_

"It's fine, Yuuki-sama," Aidou answered, shrugging. "Even though it's way too bright out, I was getting bored in that stuffy nurse's office."

Yuuki just smiled. But it faded away as fast as it had appeared. Aidou seemed preoccupied, and more than a little upset about… what? Yuuki began to ask, but then thought better of it. Looking back at their companions, she noticed the same look on each of their faces, though some masked it better than others. She wondered if that same look was on her face…

Aidou looked up, spotting her distressed look. "Oy, Y-Yuuki-sama," he stuttered, "what's wrong?"

The vampire princess shook her head quickly. "No, it's nothing, Aidou-senpai!" she insisted. "I'm just thinking..." She'd stopped walking, and Aidou stopped in front of her, holding the umbrella so they were both shaded. He tilted his head at her.

"What about?"

Yuuki stared at the ground, biting her lip. It was a beautiful day, why darken the blue sky by mentioning…

Suddenly, the ground she was focusing on shifted before her eyes. It rippled and glistened, the stone becoming like a pond… a red pond. Yuuki sucked in a sharp, painful breath. The town had dropped away, and she was standing knee deep in an infinite pool of shimmering blood. The sky darkened, black clouds rolling over the sky out of nowhere. All the people, her friends, and the townspeople alike, were gone. Except for one.

"AIDOU!!"

He was standing in front of her, his blue eyes blank and distant. His clothes were torn and stained in blood, and deep gashes covered any visible skin. And he was slowly falling backwards into the sea of blood.

"Aidou!!" Yuuki screamed again, grabbing for his hand. It slipped right through her fingers, like he was already a ghost, and he landed with a silent splash in the blood. Yuuki dove for him, trying to grab onto his collar, his arm, anything, but her hands went straight through, disappearing into the ruby liquid. To her horror, Aidou started to sink, like the red lake was pulling him in. "Aidou!! AIDOU!!"

He was gone before she could scream again, swallowed by blood. Yuuki dropped to her knees, disappearing up to her waist in it, and thrust her arms into the warm blackness. Her heart wrenched inside when she didn't feel anything.

"AIIIDDDOUUUUUU!!!!!"

"Yuuki-sama! Yuuki-sama, what's wrong?!"

Yuuki snapped back to reality, finding her face buried in Aidou's shirt. She must have collapsed against him, because he'd dropped the umbrella and wrapped his arms around her, shaking her lightly to try and wake her from her nightmare. The others had rushed over as soon they heard her scream, but now they stood back, Kain with a firm grip on Zero's shirt to keep him from getting any closer.

As soon as she could comprehend where she was and who was holding her, Yuuki snatched Aidou's shirt in her white knuckled fists and pressed her tear-stained face into the spicy smelling fabric. He was alive and healing, close to her, holding her! But how long could this blue sky day last…

"K-Kaname…" she sobbed, still in shock. "He left you alive. But why… Why?! If he wanted to kill you, you would be dead! What could he possibly want with you now… What is he going to do to you…"

Aidou was silent, but he tightened his grip on her, resting his chin on her head. "It doesn't matter," he finally answered quietly. "Don't worry about it, Yuuki-chan."

"How can I not worry?!" Yuuki burst. "He's-"

Wordlessly, Aidou swept Yuuki off her feet and into his arms. This shocked her so that she fell silent, still clutching a handful of his shirt. Aidou looked back over his shoulder at Kain.

"I'll handle this. You guys can go back to the Academy. Everything's fine," he said. Zero frowned at him, but Kain tugged his arm. The silver-haired vampire yanked his sleeve out of the other's grip, but he walked away with the rest.

"A-Aidou-senpai…" Yuuki whispered, her voice hoarse.

"C'mon, Yuuki-chan, we're taking a break from all this drama," Aidou cut in, smiling down at her. That only made Yuuki sadder.

As the sun set and the streets began to empty, the lamps began to light along the streets, and Aidou carried Yuuki to the town square. A large fountain stood in the heart of the square, and he set her down on the basin wall. Wordlessly, Yuuki scooped some of the cold water from the fountain and splashed it over her face. The refreshing coolness washed away the images of her nightmare, but the fear it had left still remained.

"Yuuki…" Aidou began, sounding serious. Yuuki looked up at him, worried about what he would say. "I know there's something else going on. But whatever it is, I'll… _we'll_, get through it." He smiled at her again, but Yuuki just frowned.

"Why don't you just leave me alone?!" she demanded. "Just change your mind! Don't care about me and leave! Then Kaname won't want to hurt you anymore…" She broke off, feeling new tears coming.

Aidou rolled his eyes up to the starry sky, sighing exasperatedly. "Who said I cared about you?" he asked.

Yuuki's eyes shot open in shock. Pain tore through her chest, but she kept her head bowed so Aidou wouldn't see her expression. Of course, it made sense. He'd been a comfort to her and a loyal friend, but he'd never said he loved her. In fact, as soon as she began to show something more towards him, he'd shied away. And Kaname had probably just misunderstood their close friendship as a romance, and that's why he attacked Aidou out of jealousy. How could she have been so stupid?!

Fighting the quaking in her voice, Yuuki whispered, "I'm… sorry, Aidou-senpai. I didn't mean to assume…"

Aidou sat down beside her, took hold of her shoulders, and pulled her into a kiss. Shocked, Yuuki pulled back, her mouth falling open. Her cheeks burned, and her surprise and pain quickly turned to anger.

"If you don't love me, how dare you-" she started, swinging her open palm towards his face to slap him. With a quick flick of his wrist, Aidou caught her hand before it could touch him. He was smiling, which only infuriated Yuuki more. "Aidou-senpai-"

"I don't _just_ care, Yuuki," Aidou interrupted, his eyes softening. Yuuki froze, shocked again. The blond vampire leaned in close, pressing his forehead to hers, his sapphire eyes piercing.

"I _love_ you."

He kissed her much softer this time, slowly, giving her time to process it. This time, he was the one to pull away, but Yuuki quickly pulled him back in for another kiss.

_The sky really _is_ blue… Everything's all right. Everything's all right now…_


	11. Chapter 11

**We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this AidouXYuuki... Easter... thing. O_o Enjoy...**

"Yuuuukiiii!!!!"

Yuuki looked up in surprise at the irritated voice calling her name. She was sitting in the shade of the trees near Cross Academy, trying to study in peace while her classmates stampeded across the grounds. She'd picked an especially secluded part of the campus to escape their games. The blond vampire, Aidou Hanabusa, however, had evidentally managed to find her despite that. Rubbing his head like he was in pain, he was walked towards her, holding in his free hand a round-ish, bright-colored object.

"Yuuki-chan! What the heck is this plastic thing??" he demanded, thrusting the object up close to her face. Yuuki took it out of his palm, already sure of what it was.

"It… It's an Easter egg, Aidou-senpai," she answered, trying hard not to giggle.

Aidou snatched it back, staring in bewilderment. "An 'Easter egg?' What's it for?"

"Easter, of course!" Yuuki exclaimed. "Don't you know what Easter is??"

"Of course I do!" Aidou shot back defensively. "It's an ancient religious holiday. But what do cheep plastic eggs have to do with religion?!"

"It's, um… commercialism, I guess," Yuuki replied sheepishly. "A way to sell candy and such."

"But you can't eat plastic eggs!!" Aidou protested.

"Open it up, there's candy inside."

Obeying, Aidou opened up the plastic container, and a brightly wrapped chocolate fell out. Yuuki picked it up off the grass, unwrapped it, and held it out to him, but the blonde vampire took it out of her fingers with his teeth, licking her fingers a little. Yuuki gasped and pulled her hand back, blushing.

"So what's the point of putting candy in plastic eggs and dropping them all over the ground?" Aidou questioned as he rolled the chocolate around in his mouth, ignoring her reaction.

"I-It's supposed to be a game. Someone hides the eggs, and then a bunch of other people run around trying to find them."

"It sounds kind of childish…"

"It is, kind of…"

"How do you win? Whoever finds the most eggs wins?"

"No, there's no winner. You just get to keep the candy in whatever eggs you find," Yuuki explained. "That's actually what the rest of the Academy students are doing right now, having an Easter Egg Hunt. It was actually the Chairman's idea…"

"We should play too!" Aidou suggested. Yuuki opened her mouth to say something, but Aidou had already grabbed her arm and pulled her off the ground, dragging her away.

"A-Aidou-senpai! Are you sure you want to?! I mean, it is bright outside and I know how much you hate the light-"

"Huh, it's not that bad today. Besides, there are bound to be plenty of cute girls looking for these Easter eggs too," Aidou countered cheerfully. He looked back at her with a smile. "Though of course, none of them are as adorable as you, Yuuki-chan," he added, winking. Yuuki just blushed deeply.

_Looks like I haven't gotten out of Easter egg hunting after all…_

_

* * *

_**I'm so sorry about this... Not only is it totally random, pointless, and really short, but it was _also_ nearly late! _ Please forgive me, I started sketching and then nearly forgot to post it. The real new chapter will be up soon, though, I promise! HAPPY EASTER TO ALL OF YOU!!! ^_^**


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: I just wanted to say that the last chapter (the Easter special) was set _before_ Yuuki became a vampire, which is why Aidou was being so informal with her. So yeah, just thought I'd mention that. Also, I'm not counting the special as an actual chapter, since it isn't part of this story, so this chapter will be number 11 instead of number 12. :)

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 11**

**Time's Up  
**

The stars reflected in their eyes, in the fountain's cool water, dancing like a thousand glittering diamonds thrown across the canvas of space. Yuuki was barely aware of them. She was being held in Aidou's arms, pressed against his chest, listening to the steady sound of his heart under her ear. They hadn't moved from this spot for what seemed like eternity – a wonderful, warm, beautiful eternity. In reality, it was just past nine at night, but Yuuki had lost track of the time long ago. It didn't matter anyway.

They'd sat by the fountain, watching the moon rise and the stars light one by one, since Aidou had first kissed her, and even now that Yuuki was just beginning to fall asleep in his arms, she didn't want to leave. Everything was finally starting to feel right.

"Hey, Yuuki," Aidou whispered, nudging her a little. "We should get you back to the Academy. You're kind of dozing off."

Yuuki smiled, stretching and snuggling closer to him. "Okay…" She suddenly snapped upright, her head whirling around, searching the shadows.

"Yuuki, what-" Aidou started, but Yuuki grabbed a handful of his shirt in a shaking, white-knuckled fist, silencing him.

"A-Aidou…" she whispered, her voice quivering, "he's… he's here."

"We shouldn't have left them alone," Zero growled.

"What, Kiryuu? Afraid you won't be able to stop Aidou from-"

* * *

"Don't make me want to shoot you, too, Ruka."

Ruka smirked, much to the silver-haired vampire's chagrin.

"Besides," Zero defended, "I was talking about the fact that the whole reason we were following them around was because _Kaname Kuran_ could show up any minute and maybe_ kill_ one of them! _That's_ why I didn't want to leave them alone."

Frowning, Kain turned away from him, while Ruka just glared. They'd returned to the Moon Dorm at the academy after leaving Aidou and Yuuki in town. Kain was concerned as well, but he trusted his cousin not to take any chances, or Yuuki for that matter. They would return before long, unharmed and happy. He just knew it…

"I'm going back," Zero spoke up suddenly. He headed for the door, but Kain grabbed his shoulder before he could touch the doorhandle. The silver-haired vampire glared at him murderously. "Don't you dare try to stop me-"

"I'm coming with you, of course," Kain interrupted, brushing past him and opening the door. Ichijo stood up from the couch.

"I think I should come too," he said, following Kain out the door. Ruka was a step behind him.

Zero started out the door as well, but paused when he realized Shiki and Rima hadn't moved from the couch.

"I don't suppose you two want to join this little parade, huh?" he asked, wondering how much Shiki's noble-blood vampire powers would come in handy if Kaname Kuran really did show up. The red-haired vampire's eyes were closed, and he had his head resting in Rima's lap, but Zero was unsure if he was really asleep or not. Rima answered that question by pointing down at him.

"He's sleeping," she said simply, and went back to reading her book.

* * *

"Where?" Aidou hissed into her ear. "Where is he?"

Yuuki gulped, clutching Aidou's arm. "I can't tell. I can just feel him… so close…"

Aidou pressed his lips against her forehead, surprising her. "It's okay," he whispered, smiling sadly. "It's all okay…"

The vampire princess stared at him incredulously. "You know… You know what he's going to do…?" she asked shakily. Aidou closed his eyes and stood up. "Wait, Aidou-"

"Kanane-sama," Aidou said aloud, ignoring her, "forgive me for not noticing your presence sooner. My mind was… distracted."

One of the four streetlights standing by the fountain shattered. Aidou's eyes narrowed.

"Step away from Yuuki, Hanabusa. If you do, I will forget your past trespasses and will not harm you."

Yuuki shivered powerfully. She couldn't tell where her brother's voice was coming from. His words echoed through the whole square, cold and dark like a deadly poison.

Aidou bowed his head. "Forgive me, Kaname-sama," he repeated, "but… I can't."

A second streetlight exploded into a thousand sparking shards of glass.

"I could end your life from where I stand, Hanabusa," Kaname's voice came again, thicker with it's icy venom. "Just one thought, and you would be done. Step away."

Aidou's hand flexed, stretching, then balling into a fist. Yuuki stared up at him, terrified, knowing deep in her heart what he would say. The blond vampire opened his mouth to speak, and Yuuki snatched his hand, holding on for dear life. Tears began to flow.

Aidou paused, looking down at her in surprise. She stared back at him, her eyes pleading. "Kaname-sama," he said slowly, "again, I can't-"

A third, the nearest, streetlight shattered. Yuuki panicked.

Springing to her feet, she threw herself in front of Aidou, spreading her arms out like a shield.

"Kaname! Please stop!" she shouted, her voice trembling. "Please!!"

There was a long silence. Yuuki's eyes scanned the darkness, her heart thudding in her ears. Fear coursed through her with each beat. More tears fell.

"Kaname… Please!" she repeated, begging now, her voice changing to a shriek as she spoke. "Please don't hurt him! I love him! Please… Oniisan, please!!!"

Kaname was perfectly silent for a long, sickening moment. Then, into the dim light of the final streetlamp, he emerged. Yuuki sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes meeting his and being trapped there. They were so sad, and so lonely, that she found she was no longer crying for herself, or even for Aidou, but for him, her older brother. She let him walk right up to her, let him lay his hand tenderly on her head, even let him stroke her hair affectionately. And when he pulled her into a hug, she didn't fight him, she just buried her head in his shirt and wept.

"Please, Oniisan… Please…" she sobbed.

"I love you, Yuuki," Kaname murmured, rubbing her back gently, "and I would never do anything to make you unhappy… unless it was for your own good. You have to trust me that this _is_ for your own good. Please trust me, Yuuki."

He suddenly picked her up, startling her, and set her down behind him. Yuuki tried to push past him to get to Aidou, but he kept a firm, though painless, grip on her arm that kept her from going anywhere. Then the pureblood fixed his bloody irises on the blond vampire before him.

"It seems that you have deceived my dear Yuuki even more completely than I thought," he began, his voice lifeless so as to hide the boiling anger underneath. "I heard everything you told her: how you love her," he added, snarling the word 'love,' making Yuuki shiver harshly. "But I know the sort of man you really are, how you cannot truly love anyone other than yourself. So I will tell you one last time, Hanabusa Aidou. Stop this cruel game you are playing with my sister's heart, or I will end you this time."

Kaname didn't move throughout this whole speech, but when he'd finished Aidou reeled like he'd been slapped across the face. "Aidou!" Yuuki cried, trying to go to him, but Kaname held her back, almost as if he were protecting her.

_Is that what he thinks he's doing?!_

"Please, Kaname-sama," Aidou protested, but he kept his head bowed, his eyes glued to the ground. "I would never hurt Yuuki, I swear it! I was an immature person back at the Academy, but things have changed. I… I respect Yuuki… Yuuki-_sama_ now, and would never harm or betray her in any way. And I really did mean what I said, I _do_ love her."

"Then you won't have any trouble proving it," Kaname suggested heavily. Aidou bowed his head lower.

"With all due respect, I will do whatever it takes to change your mind about my character, Kaname-sama, as well as my commitment to Yuuki."

Kaname glared down at him, with eyes that could vaporize him in less than a second. "Then fight me. If you don't surrender, and by some miracle of Heaven you survive, I will reconsider your claim of affection for Yuuki. But rest assured, I won't go easy on you as I did before."

"Aidou…" Yuuki whispered, horrified, then spoke louder. "Kaname-oniisan, please don't do this! I know Aidou loves me, I trust him-!"

"But I do not," Kaname interrupted, still watching Aidou closely. Suddenly, he turned his eyes back to her, distant and forlorn, very different from the cold, murderous gaze he'd had fixed on Aidou a second earlier. "Please Yuuki… I would never harm you. But _he_ could."

Yuuki shook her head frantically. "Kaname-oniisan… No!!"

Suddenly, Kaname's eyes shifted to the street, where four people were coming from. "Good. Witnesses…"

"Kaname…" Zero growled.

"Kiryuu," Kaname returned coldly, though with an audible undertone of mocking. "As scary as ever, prefect. What are you doing here?"

"Protecting Yuuki, that's what."

"She's perfectly safe where she is."

"I doubt that."

Kaname smiled darkly. "I'm actually glad you're here, Kiryuu. This test will be as useful to you as it will be for me, I believe…"

Zero's eyes narrowed, and he let out a snarl that made Yuuki cringe. Kain shifted his weight from one foot to the other, while Ruka kept her eyes focused on the ground. Ichijo was watching Kaname carefully, remaining perfectly still.

"This was his plan all along," he finally whispered, so low only Kain, Zero, and Ruka could hear. "When he first attacked Aidou, it was a test of his commitment. If Aidou didn't abandon Yuuki after nearly losing his life once, Kaname planned to engage him in a real battle, a second test of loyalty. But also he wants to test Aidou's strength. You see how he's keeping Yuuki behind him, like he's protecting her? He wants to see if Aidou is capable of doing the same."

"But being a noble," Kain argued with a hiss, "there's no way Aidou will be able to contend with a pureblood, especially if Kaname isn't planning on going easy on him. And do you see how Aidou's bowing to him, and continually using his formal title? He knows full well he wouldn't stand a chance, and is probably trying to calm Kaname's rage somewhat by showing how deep his respect for him is, despite all that's happened."

Ichijo nodded minutely. "That's just what I don't understand. If Kaname is so loath to Aidou and Yuuki being together and is intending to use all his power in this fight, he can't possibly believe that Aidou will survive."

"Maybe it's a round-about way of killing Aidou off for good," Ruka suggested. "He could blame it more on Aidou's weakness than his own prejudice, and perhaps he's hoping Yuuki will forgive him over time if she is convinced it's not really his fault."

"If that were his intention, Aidou would already be dead," Kain disagreed. "Besides, there's no way he thinks so little of Yuuki to believe she would forgive him for killing Aidou, no matter how much time passed or how much he blamed it all on Aidou."

Ichijo frowned and nodded again. "I agree…" His gaze shifted from Kaname to Aidou, then back to Kaname. "Kaname-sama, what could you be thinking…"

"I accept your challenge with the highest respect, Kaname-sama," Aidou suddenly spoke up, silencing them.

Yuuki started. "Aidou, you can't-"

"Ichijo," Kaname called to the blond vampire, interrupting her. "Watch Yuuki."

Ichijo's jaw tightened, but he bowed low. "As you wish, Kaname-sama." He hurried to Kaname's side and gently took hold of Yuuki's arms, being forced to practically drag her away from the two combatants. "Please forgive me, Yuuki-sama…"

"Ichijo-senpai, let go!" Yuuki ordered desperately, her voice climbing to a screech. "Let go!! Aidou, don't do this! Please no!!" Aidou didn't look at her.

Returning to the other witnesses, Ichijo handed Yuuki over to Zero, who wrapped her tightly in his arms in a sort of restraining hug. Unlike with Ichijo, she didn't fight him. She just watched the two motionless vampires, holding her breath until her lungs burned, gripping Zero's sleeve in silent panic.

Everyone had their eyes fixed on Kaname, waiting for the next move, but when it finally came, no one saw what happened.

To Be Continued...


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** The chapter you've all (hopefully) been waiting for!! XD I'm sorry it took me so long, but it's a long chapter, so I hope that makes up for it. Also, I was kind of scared to write this chapter because it's so important, so I admit I shied away from it for a few days. But now it's done and I'm so happy!! Hope you all like it! ^_^

Disclaimer: I OWN FLUFF AND INSANITY!!! ...But not Vampire Knight.

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 12**

**To Battle a God  
**

"Aidou!!!" Yuuki screamed. Kaname had lunged too fast for any of them to see, but they did see when he slowed and began to turn back. Aidou had thrown himself to the side just in time. The pureblood swung his arm behind him, his nails, which had now become deadly talons, digging into Aidou's cheek before he could dodge again. The blond vampire cried out in pain. Yuuki lunged towards him, but Zero held her tightly.

Kaname was facing Aidou now, who was kneeling on the ground, his hand pressed to the four long slits on his cheek, which bled down his neck and chest in dark red ribbons. His eyes were wide, his breathing shallow. Yuuki felt her stomach churn as she wondered if he was just now realizing what he was in for… all because of her.

_What is he thinking… What _should _he be thinking??_ Yuuki swallowed painfully, knowing the real answer. _He needs to…_

Kaname's eyes narrowed to bloody, burning slits, and Yuuki opened her mouth just as the shattered glass on the ground started to fly.

"Run, Aidou!!" she screamed above the wind howling as a twister of glass shards closed over Aidou. She could barely see him through the glittering whirlwind, which was picking up more dust as it sped up. Kaname stood motionless, watching. Yuuki strained against Zero's hold, screeching at the top of her lungs. "RUN!!! Forget about me, just run!!!"

Kain's whole body was tense, like a coiled spring, ready and willing to lunge, but still unsure. His jaw tightened as Aidou's crouched form began to disappear completely in the vortex, as the smell of blood strengthened, clogging the air with its sick, metallic odor, as Yuuki's screams grew louder, but never quite swallowing the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. His stomach was churning painfully as he fought within himself whether to interfere or whether to stand back. He still had no idea what Kaname wanted, but as the scent of blood began to suffocate him, and as his ears picked out the cries of pain from behind the howl of the wind, he made his decision. He had just begun to dive toward Kaname when he stopped midstep.

Aidou looked up through the vortex, and his eyes, burning, intense blue orbs, locked with Kain's. Kain had seen his cousin angry before, even furious. But he'd never seen the look of wild determination that he now beheld in Aidou's eyes. His cousin was cut all over, he could see that, but he was struggling to stand anyway. Kain bit his tongue to keep from cursing. He was thinking the same as Yuuki, but Aidou had made his decision.

"Make her stop," he ordered Zero, who was still holding a screaming Yuuki firmly in his arms. The silver haired vampire looked at him, hesitating. Kain growled. "I said shut her up!! She's not helping anything!" he shouted. Zero frowned, but he put his hand over Yuuki's mouth, muffling her shouts. She struggled against him, hot tears running fast down her cheeks, but he held her back.

"I'm sorry, Yuuki," he whispered in her ear, his voice strained. Yuuki quit struggling, surprised, but her tears only came faster.

Kaname hadn't moved. He saw Aidou fight to stand against the pain, the tearing shards of glass, and the wind, and smiled to himself. "So you really do intend to fight back? Good. If you'd have surrendered now, after just this little punishment, I would have had to kill you." Aidou found his feet at last, and he surrounded himself in a barrier of ice, giving him a chance to recover and prepare. Kaname didn't let him have that chance.

With one sweep of his arm, the wind stopped, and the barrier shattered in the same instant. Aidou was ready, and lunged out of the explosion of ice towards the pureblood. The water in the fountain froze on his command and huge spikes of it flew at Kaname's head. Kaname dodged them lithely, flipping out of the way just in time for a huge block of ice to miss him. Aidou lunged again, claws and fangs showing, blue eyes wild, but with what, no one could understand. The pureblood stood his ground, and the two clashed in a flurry of swinging arms and guttural roars that would have frozen the heart of any human present.

Yuuki could barely stand to watch. She'd never seen two vampires fighting without the use of a weapon or their noble or pureblood powers. The sight was horrifying, like two starved, wild wolves attempting to tear each other to shreds over a scrap of meat. Kaname had never looked so terrifying, and Aidou never so wild. Their movements were so fast all you could see was a blur, but you could hear every time someone got a hit in from the chorus of pained and triumphant hisses and growls that would erupt from the vicious combatants.

_Is this what a vampire looks like when they go all out? When they throw off that mask of civility and embrace the beast that they are… that _we_ are??_ Yuuki thought with horror, watching as her brother and her lover tore at each other with vicious rage and wild determination in their eyes.

It was made all the more horrible by the knowledge that Kaname was, of course, far more powerful than Aidou could ever hope to be. For every scratch Aidou got in, Kaname would make gashes across his body that would spew blood over the ground. Yuuki could tell that Aidou was trying not to scream with pain for her sake and his cousin's, but she wished he just would.

_He's killing himself for me,_ she thought hopelessly, hit tears stinging her cheeks as she struggled to see through them and breath through the sobs. _I deserve all the misery I would feel from hearing him scream. Please, Aidou… Please just run!_

Aidou interrupted her thoughts when he let loose with a horrible chocked scream, not of pain, but of anger. He was doubled over, but refused to fall to his knees before the pureblood, who was standing as if perfectly unharmed. Clutching his left arm, which had several large gashes in it, Aidou took in heavy, ragged breaths, tiny rivulets of blood seeping from his lips with every exhale. His eyes, flickering from distant and lost to focused, were still planted on Kaname. He was falling in and out of consciousness, and a large pool of blood lay at his feet. Yet still he smiled, a harsh smile that Yuuki wished she never had to see.

"Kill me, Kaname-sama!" Aidou hissed, ignoring the blood he spat out with the words, his face twisted in a maniacal grin. "Kill me, and Yuuki can be yours forever! With me dead you'll be able to play with your precious pet dove for eternity! You cab lock her up in a gilded cage and feed her crackers through the bars, and have her sing for you whenever you feel lonely! Kill me off and claim your prize, Kaname!"

Everyone's eyes turned to Kaname at the same instant. After such a bold insult, Yuuki and Kain felt their hearts stop in their chest, sure Kaname would silence Aidou forever. But the pureblood just wiped a splatter of blood (Aidou's, not his) from his cheek and narrowed his eyes at the blonde vampire.

"Is that what you think, Hanabusa?" he asked simply, startling Aidou. "You think I see Yuuki as my slave, someone I only find use for to ease my own loneliness? It is true I am lonely. But that is because I know that Yuuki can never be only mine. She is all I have, the one person who is precious to me in this world, the only one that matters. Without her, I have absolutely nothing worth living for. But she will eventually leave me, and that makes me lonely like you could never imagine. But is that why I want to destroy you, because I'm a selfish man who's "precious dove" is being taken from me? No."

Everyone gasped unintentionally, Yuuki the loudest. Even though they'd never wittingly admit it aloud, they'd all thought that to be the case. Kaname's eyes scanned each of them, a sad smile on his face. His eyes rest on Yuuki for a long moment, then turned back to Aidou.

"I wish to destroy you because you don't care for Yuuki at all," he declared, his blood red eyes piercing Aidou's soul. "Not even a little."

"Kaname-" Yuuki started, but Zero silenced her by laying a hand gently on her head.

"He's getting to the "useful" part," he explained quietly with a frown, remembering Kaname's earlier remark about him finding his and Aidou's battle "useful."

Aidou stared at Kaname incredulously. "After almost dying once and attempting to fight a pureblood to the death, how can you say I don't care for Yuuki!" he exclaimed. "You've hit me so many times I can barely stand, and I'm willing to keep going, and still you're convinced that I don't love her?! How can-"

"You don't love her because you only think of your own feelings," Kaname interrupted calmly. "You don't think about what Yuuki is feeling, or what she is going through. Think about it: you are a noble. Yuuki is a pureblood. In order to preserve the rare pureblood line, she must marry a pureblood." He stared down at Aidou with hard, demeaning eyes. "You, a mere noble, have no right to even _entertain_ the idea of having a romantic relationship with her. And marrying her is entirely impossible. Not because I say so, but because every other pureblood and noble agrees with me. If you plan to carry out this fantasy romance with Yuuki and someday marry her, most, if not every other vampire in the world will be against you. And in their outrage at your audacity to marry a pureblood and pollute the dwindling pureblood line, they will hunt you down and kill you, destroying everything you've worked in vain to build up.

"And where will that leave Yuuki? Scorned by the vampire nation because of _your_ foolishness. Despite the truth, she'll be seen as a disgrace and forever shamed. All because of you and your selfish desires."

Here he paused, staring Aidou down. The blonde vampire had dropped his head, staring at the ground in shame. His shoulder's sagged, and he shook all over. Tears mixed with the blood (his blood, not Kaname's) smeared on his face. Kaname continued.

"Obviously you were too caught up in your own whims to think about what it could all mean for Yuuki. And when the entire vampire nation came to your door in a mob because of what you'd done, how could you possibly protect Yuuki from them? You'd be facing every pureblood on the planet, which may be few, but you apparently can't even handle one. If, because of her 'crimes' they sought to harm Yuuki, what could you do against them? Nothing.

"So you see, the only one with a dove in a gilded cage that they refuse to set free is you. You are nothing but selfish, and your love for Yuuki only goes so far as what she can do for you, and what you can gain from her love. That, Hanabusa, is why I want to destroy you. That is why I want you to stay away from Yuuki, forever."

Aidou dropped to his knees, overcome. He doubled over on his hands and knees and vomited, blood into more blood. His whole body was racked with sobs, his mind was blank. "But…" he whispered weakly, so low Yuuki could barely hear him. "I would… I would do anything for Yuuki… I would…" He threw his head back and screamed the last words at Kaname. "I would _die _for her!!!"

Kaname just stared at him emotionlessly. "I don't care about dying," he finally said, surprising Aidou. "I would die a thousand painful deaths for Yuuki, but that wouldn't do her any good. If somebody wants to be of any use to anyone, they have to live. To live you have to be strong." He paused, giving Aidou a once over, then added. "You are not. The only reason I'm leaving you alive is because I see no point in killing you. You're nothing to me, Hanabusa. Do what you wish, but never come near Yuuki again." With that, he stepped away from Aidou, walked right up to Zero and Yuuki, and took his sister's hand. Three things happened at once.

Yuuki almost choking on her fury and disgust, smacked Kaname across the face. Everyone sucked in a sharp breath and Zero yanked Yuuki away from the other pureblood, but not before her palm made contact with his face.

"How dare you!" Yuuki screamed, her tears almost boiling with the force of her rage. She struggled, and Zero released her, letting her dash to Aidou's side. Kaname was silent, his head bowed, his hair hiding any emotion that might be showing on his face.

"Aidou!" Yuuki cried, dropping to her knees in the pool of blood around the other vampire. For a split second, she remembered her "vision" or Aidou sinking into a sea of blood. A shiver racked her spine, but she shook her head, pushing away thr terrifying memory. Right now, Aidou needed her.

Yuuki moved to put one hand on Aidou's back and her other on his arm, but he hissed dangerously, shocking her to stillness.

"A… Aidou…" she whispered. He didn't look at her, didn't do anything accept shake violently all over. "Aidou…" she reached for him again, but Aidou spoke, stopping her again.

"Don't touch me…" he murmured. Yuuki flinched at the undertone of rage in his voice, and even more at the overwhelming agony that filled the rest of his words. "Please… Don't touch me…"

Yuuki didn't know what to say. Was he angry at Kaname? At… her?? Her stomach twisted inside of her painfully, and, unsure what else to do, hide her face in her blood stained hands and cried.

Zero and the others watched in silence, then returned their gazes to Kaname. He'd apparently recovered, and brushed his hair out of his face, taking a deep breath. His eyes met Zero's.

"Did you find our conversation useful, Kiryuu?" he asked, but there was a strain in his voice that Zero had never heard before.

"I don't know what you mean," he answered.

"Don't pretend you don't still love Yuuki. Surely you were just as dissatisfied with Aidou's character as I."

Zero's eyes narrowed. "What does it matter?" he demanded sharply. "What do character flaws have to do with it? You have more than Hanabusa does, Kaname Kuran. What makes you think _you're_ so perfect for Yuuki?"

Kaname smiled sadly, an almost vulnerable look Zero had again never seen. "Because I'm the only one who can give her everything she needs. I wish I could give her all that she wants along with that. Believe me, Kiryuu, there is nothing in this world I want more than Yuuki's happiness. However…" His eyes flashed to Aidou's slumped form on the ground, and Yuuki weeping over him. "…Sometimes what she desires is more harmful to her than she realizes. I can't let her hurt herself…

"She'll probably never forgive me for this," he added, his hand softly touching the cheek that Yuuki had slapped, his eyes sad and distant. "I won't ask her to. And I won't force her to return with me. No doubt she'll want to stay at the Academy for a while, but if I'm judging Hanabusa's attitude at the moment correctly, his foolish romance is at an end." His eyes suddenly focused on Zero, firm and with that familiar look of superiority. "That's why I'm entrusting Yuuki to your care, Kiryuu. I made you what you are for Yuuki, and though I thought your time as my pawn was up, it seems I need your services once again. You will not betray Yuuki."

And with that, he left the light of the last surviving streetlamp and disappeared into the shadows.

Even after the pureblood vanished, the shock of what had just occurred still hung over the witnesses, keeping them still and breathless. For a long minute they just stood there, looking at each other, then at Yuuki and Aidou, then back at each other, bewildered. Then, suddenly and all at once, the veil lifted and they were suddenly aware of the moment. Immediately, Kain rushed to Aidou's side and helped him up from the ground, throwing his cousin's arm over his shoulder to support him. Aidou hung almost limp in his grasp, his head bowed, trembling and bleeding heavily, and Kain had to almost drag him down the street.

Zero approached Yuuki and gently placed his hands on her quaking shoulder's from behind. Yuuki didn't stop crying, or even raise her head like he hoped. _At least look at me, please! Let me know there's something I can do!_ Finally, she looked up, but the relief or faint spark of hope he thought he would see in her eyes was vacant. She just stared at him, here eyes twin pools of despair.

Swallowing the painful lump in his throat, Zero lifted her off the ground and set her on her feet again, wrapping his arm protectively around her shoulders. She clutched his jacket and cried into the black fabric as they walked through the quiet streets, Ruka and Ichijo following in silence. Aidou didn't glance back at Yuuki once.

* * *

It seemed like the stars had disappeared from the heavens for the rest of the night, leaving him to wander in the harsh orange glow of the streetlights. Kaname didn't care where he was going. At the moment, it didn't really matter. Nothing really mattered.

_It still burns…_ he thought, his fingers pressed gently against his wounded cheek. It stung worse on the inside though, and it was all his fault, he knew. But there was nothing else he could do. Even though he'd hurt himself and Yuuki, he'd done the right thing. Aidou Hanabusa wasn't good enough for Yuuki. No one was. And no one ever would be.

_Including me_, he added sadly. _I may like to think I'll one day deserve Yuuki. Of course I can protect her better than anyone. But that doesn't mean I deserve her. I have as much chance as Aidou and Zero in the end…_

Pausing, Kaname stared up at the heavens. He could barely see the glow of the moon behind the clouds, but that faint silver light gave him some bit of hope. _Yuuki will never forgive me, that much is clear, but still…_

A noise from behind distracted him, and Kaname turned toward the sound. He knew exactly who it was.

"I told you when I left Yuuki in her care that if you made her cry, I wouldn't let you get away with it."

Kaname smirked. "I want nothing less… Cross Kaien."

To Be Continued...


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Okay, just a chapter or two more, and then the epilogue. :) I hope you guys enjoy!**

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 13**

**A Rhyme With No Reason  
**

It was a quiet and exhausted couple that stumbled into Chairman Kaien's office in the darkest hours of the early morning. The Chairman was absent, which would have seemed odd if anyone cared to notice. Zero immediately laid Yuuki down on the couch in the corner. She'd fallen asleep walking there, all her energy so spent from crying that she would have collapsed in midstep if he didn't catch her in time. Aidou was in a similar predicament, but Kain had taken him straight to the nurse's office. His wounds needed to be tended at once. He'd lost far too much blood. Ichijo and Ruka, seeing they were no longer needed, retired for the night. Now it was just the two of them.

Slumping into the couch on the opposite end to Yuuki's head, Zero propped her feet up into his lap and began unlacing her shoes, not particularly paying attention to what he was doing. He got one off quickly, but on the other one he slowed, letting his mind wander. Despite the fatigue of his body, his thoughts were whirling around in his mind at top speed. Anger, excitement, uncertainty, confusion, pain… all overwhelmed him, threatening to swallow his withering determination to remain calm through this whole thing. Yuuki needed someone to be strong for her. And if Aidou was going to fall apart on her now, it might as well be him.

Pausing in his work, Zero glanced over at Yuuki. She was out cold, her hair mussed, with dark circles under her eyes, tear tracks on her face, and blood on her hands.

_What a mess…_ Zero thought with a sigh. But he kept staring anyway. Yuuki's eyebrows were knit in a tight frown even during sleep, and the occasional mumble escaped her open lips. He couldn't decipher what she was saying.

_What are you thinking, Yuuki… What's going through your mind after all of this? It sounds so stupid, but I wish I knew. It's probably unwise to want that, though. I know you're not thinking about me…_

Fiddling with Yuuki's shoelaces again, Zero tried to sort his thoughts. _Kaname said I still love Yuuki. Curse that stupid pureblood! How can he still see through me! I wonder if Yuuki can…_ He took one look at Yuuki's still form. _No, she doesn't know. She's too dumb about those things, at least most of the time… That's good though, it saves her a lot of pain._

_But _now_ where am I at?! Kaname's gone, who the heck knows where, and Hanabusa can't even look at Yuuki let alone… Well, I'm pretty sure Kaname's right about their relationship being over. I'm sorry for Yuuki though…_ He looked over at Yuuki again, a longer, more affectionate look, which soon turned into a frown. _She really loved him, that stupid Hanabusa. Not that I was hoping for them, but if he abandons her now over his own self pity… I'll kill him! But now what do I do? Are things supposed to go back to the way they were?! There's no way that can happen…_

Zero lifted his hand to rest his forehead against it and suddenly realized he'd tied both his hands in a knot to Yuuki's shoe. Cursing, he struggled to free himself while trying not to jostle Yuuki too much, but he was stuck.

_I can't do anything for you, can I?!_ he thought exasperatedly. _I can't make you smile, I can't stop you from crying, I can't even protect you… I'm more useless than Aidou!! At least he made you happy for a while…_ Sighing, he let his head rest against the back of the couch and closed his eyes, trying to calm his thoughts. In a few moments, he was asleep.

And that's how Cross Kaien found them about an hour later when he returned to his office: Zero asleep upright on the couch with Yuuki's feet in his lap, held captive by her shoelaces while Yuuki slept soundly stretched over the cushions, the opposite armrest serving as her pillow. Smiling sadly, Kaien pulled a blanket over Yuuki and gave Zero an affectionate pat on the head. But despite his exhaustion, Zero stirred and opened his eyes.

"C-Cross??" he whispered. "When did you get back? And where'd you go?"

Kaien pulled one of the easy chairs in front of his desk up to the couch and sat down, smiling. But it was a forced smile, and Zero saw through it at once. "It worried me that I hadn't heard anything from you guys since you left this afternoon, and so I was on my way to see if all of you were back from town yet, when I ran into Shiki-kun and Rima-chan in the courtyard. They told me you had left Aidou-kun and Yuuki alone for a while and then went back to check on them, and that made me a bit more worried. You never know what could happen if you turn your eyes away for just a moment…" The sentence died away as Kaien's eyes rested on Yuuki. His smile softened and gained some reality, but it was still a sad smile.

"I decided I'd better follow you just to make sure everything was all right, and I walked in right as Kaname was giving that brutal speech to Aidou-kun. I still can't figure out whether to agree or give Aidou-kun the benefit of the doubt. Kaname was certainly speaking what he believed in his heart, but just how twisted his heart is, I still can't determine.

He smiled, another taught grin. "And then I saw Yuuki slap him and cry. That was quit a swing she took at him! Daddy taught her that!"

"I'm sure…" Zero mumbled doubtfully.

Kaien let his façade drop. "I admit I was shocked. I never would have imagined that Yuuki would even dream of going against her brother, let alone physically hurting him. It shows just how much she must love Aidou-kun. He's lucky…

"More lucky than he deserves," Zero spoke up, his deep-seated bitterness unintentionally clear in his voice.

"So then you agree with Kaname?"

"I wouldn't agree with that dirty pureblood in a million years," he growled back. "But I do believe that Yuuki's too good for Aidou. She's too good for anyone. But especially Aidou. Yuuki is kind and selfless, and she does all that she can for others. Aidou only thinks of himself, and what others can do for him."

"Nah, Kiryuu-kun!" Kaien said cheerfully. "I think you're being a little too hard on Aidou-kun, now! Let's not forget he's completely loyal to Yuuki-chan, and would do anything for her."

"So then… You're saying that Aidou _is_ the best for Yuuki??" he asked, trying to drown out the guilt in his mind.

"Not at all, Kiryuu-kun!" Kaien argued. "I'm saying you all love her, but I'm trying to understand each of your motives. And I'm trying to understand what you each will do now. You three are so unpredictable, and I really don't want anyone else getting hurt again. I heard Kaname tell you that Yuuki was now in your care, and judging from what I've already seen of you two…" he gave Zero a knowing look which he glaringly returned. "…I can deduce that you'll embrace that mission. It'll be just like old times, huh…"

"And what about Aidou and Kaname?"

"Kaname is out of the game at the moment," Kaien said quietly, his expression measured. He didn't look at Zero when he said this. Instead, his eyes were distant, thoughtful… angry. Zero had to ask.

"What did you do to him?"

Kaien glanced at him, his eyes intense. "I punished him for making Yuuki cry, and doubtlessly cause her more tears in the future. That's all you need to know." His tone was so final that Zero dared not speak further.

"Aidou-kun… I can't tell what he'll do next. After seeing his reaction to Kaname's words, it would seem that he believes them. He's beginning to doubt his own feelings and even become ashamed and hateful of them. I think that, essentially, his love for Yuuki will be what drives him to abandon that love." He looked over at Yuuki's sleeping form, frowning thoughtfully. "And that will be disastrous for Yuuki." His gaze returned to Zero, staring through his soul. "When that happens, you have to be there for her. No matter what's happened, you are still her dearest and closest friend. Don't forget that. And don't let your own wounded feelings get in the way of it either."

The Chairman suddenly stood and stretched, yawning hugely. "Well then, Kiryuu-kun, it's late. Get back to sleep. Tomorrow will be an interesting day…"

Zero nodded, then suddenly remembered. He held up his imprisoned fingers. "Cross, can you-"

But the Chairman had already left the office, closing the door silently behind him. Sighing, Zero laid back against the couch. He tried to sort out Kaien's deductions, but fatigue slowed his mind, and he was soon fast asleep.

Unseen in the dark, a final tear traced Yuuki's cheek.

* * *

The sun was a pale, sickly yellow when Yuuki opened her eyes several hours later. Or was it because her eyes were so tired of crying? She couldn't tell.

Looking around, she found herself in Chairman Kaien's office, and Zero sitting at her feet, sound asleep. Had he carried her there? How long had she been asleep? How was… And then she remembered hearing her father and Zero's discussion last night. Kaien's voice had made her stir from her sleep, but not enough to come into complete consciousness. Still, she'd been able to hear every word, and the idea that Aidou was giving up…

"Aidou!" she gasped, attempting to roll off the couch. She found herself somewhat inhibited, however, when she spotted Zero's hands tied in a knot in her shoelaces. She realized her other shoe had already been removed, and a tender smile spread over her face. Sitting up, she began the confusing job of untying the knot that imprisoned Zero's fingers. _How in the world did he manage this?!_ she thought as she picked at the laces, allowing the moment of humor to distract her. Eventually she freed her shoe, and rubbed Zero's fingers gently to straighten them again. Then she retied her shoe, slipped her other one on, and began to head out the door, but paused. Glancing back at her friend, she smiled sadly and slipped the blanket over him, then left quietly.

She'd just closed the door behind her and turned to hallway, when she almost leapt out of her skin with surprise. Kain nearly ran headlong into her, but caught himself just in time.

"Yuuki-sama!" he exclaimed, then collected himself. "I hoped I'd find you here. Aidou needs you right away."

The words sent Yuuki's heart pounding fast. Aidou needed her? Was he all right? Was he not upset anymore? Of maybe he was planning to leave her? The thought chilled her inside and out, and all she could manage for Kain was a nod of acknowledgment. She followed him in silence to the nurse's office and into the patient's room, where Aidou was lying in the same bed as before. He was covered in bandages and looked much cleaner than before, but Yuuki could feel the pain and misery radiating from him. His face was pointed away from he door, so Yuuki couldn't tell if he was asleep or not.

"Hanabusa, I'm back," Kain said simply, answering that question. There was an undertone of frustration that Yuuki didn't understand at first. Aidou didn't respond, he didn't even twitch. Maybe he was asleep after all?

"Hanabusa…" his cousin sighed exasperatedly, walking up to the bedside and flicking his cousin in the side of the head. Aidou still didn't move. "Yuuki's here. She wants to talk to you." Still nothing.

"Is he… Maybe he's asleep," Yuuki whispered timidly, her stomach wringing inside. Was he ignoring her because of what Kaname said?? Did he really believe what her brother had told him like Kaien had suggested? Tears came to Yuuki's eyes just thinking about it.

"A…Aidou," she said gently, going over to the bedside. She sat down in a chair set up next to it and timidly reached for Aidou's hand. He pulled it away. Wordlessly, Kain left. They needed their privacy. But secretly, Yuuki wished he wouldn't leave her alone with Aidou. Not now.

"Um… Are y… Are you feeling better… Aidou?" she asked quietly, her voice weak. "I'm sorry you had to be so hurt for me…" She saw Aidou flinch minutely, and realized too late she probably shouldn't have said that. "B-but, um… I'm glad you're okay now," she stuttered. "And I'm… very glad that you stood up to Kaname like you did." That wasn't exactly true. She'd been absolutely mortified that Aidou had decided to face her brother. But she _had_ been thankful for his bravery on her behalf, attempting to free her from Kaname's control… even if it had been thoroughly foolish and reckless.

For the first time, Aidou's eyes rolled around to look at her. His face was still turned away from her, but his eyes were as intense as ever, even if the blue in them had dulled considerably.

"Are you sure?" he asked bitterly. "I would be angry if an outsider… an _inferior_, threatened the relationship between me and my benefactor, not to mention put my life in danger for their own selfish needs…"

"You can't seriously believe what Kaname said!" Yuuki cried. "He was just saying things to make you stay away from me! He's being obsessive, and there was no excuse for anything he said. _He_ was being the selfish one Aidou, not you-"

Aidou turned to face her, his eyes angry now. "Everything he said was true, and you know it!" Yuuki flinched at his harsh tone. "You know it!!" He suddenly grabbed her hand, squeezing so hard it hurt. "All I ever wanted was to drink your blood, and… and for you to acknowledge me. I just wanted your attention. It was all about me!"

"But that's changed!" Yuuki argued frantically, trying to hide the pain she was feeling. "You really love me-"

"How can you be sure?!" Aidou shot back. "How can _I_ be sure?! His words were true… How am I supposed to protect you? And what about your credibility? You'll be completely shunned by all vampires! Because of _me!!!_"

Yuuki swallowed hard, looking away from his severe gaze, though she knew she shouldn't. She shouldn't show him any doubt, any insecurity. Taking a deep breath, she looked back into his eyes. They were searching hers, pleading for something, but for what she dared not ask.

"Aidou… What do you want from me?" she asked slowly, pronouncing every word slowly, summoning all the strength she could muster into her words. She looked directly into his eyes. Aidou looked uncertainly back. His anger melted into confusion, and the grip he had on her hand went limp.

"I…" he squeezed his eyes shut. "I want you… to be happy. And safe. With me."

Yuuki's eyes softened, and she smiled tenderly at him. "Aidou, I am," she insisted softly. "I can't tell you how happy I am when I'm with you! Every time I look at you I feel like my heart's flying. How much happier could I get? And I don't care what others think of me if they hate me just for being with you."

"Then you're shunning your responsibility as a pureblood," Aidou murmured, but the words were loud to Yuuki. She hesitated, unsure how to respond to that. It was true…

"And what about safe?" Aidou added, sulking. "How are you supposed to be safe?"

"Kaname underestimates me," Yuuki said, her voice serious again. "I'm a pureblood just like him, which means I'm just as powerful. I can take care of myself."

Aidou was the one avoiding her gaze this time. "It would… make me feel better if… If um… _I_ could keep you safe."

Though she knew she shouldn't, Yuuki giggled behind her hand. Aidou blushed, embarrassed at the subtle insult to the female sex, but Yuuki didn't seem to mind. She just smiled at him, amused and affectionate.

"Who says you can't? I've never been hurt on your watch before, right?" she asked, but it was the wrong question.

"Kuran Rido," Aidou hissed, his eyes narrowing. "He was free to do what he wanted with you… while I could only watch. And you weren't any better off either."

Yuuki's smile faded, and she lowered her eyes. "I said the wrong thing…"

"No, it was a good question."

"Aidou…"

"Yuuki, I just want to be alone."

"No, Aidou…"

Please leave…"

"But-"

"Just GO!!"

Yuuki flinched away when he shouted, and Aidou immediately looked guilty. Yuuki opened her mouth to argue again, but shut it silently and stood up. Aidou watched her move slowly for the door.

"Yuuki, I…" he stuttered, but he couldn't find the right words. They couldn't be together. It sounded bitterly cheesy to him now, but it was true. They just weren't meant to be.

"It's okay, Aidou-senpai," Yuuki interrupted his stammering, forcing a smile which only made things worse. "You need to be alone." She placed her hand on the door handle, but paused before she could turn it. "I just want you to know, Aidou… The only way you can ever hurt me is… is if you leave me now." She glanced at him quickly, but turned her eyes away just as fast. "But… Unless you tell me to, _I_ won't ever leave _you_. I'll let you rest now…" Silently, she walked out of the door.

"Wait, Yuuki!!" Aidou called after her. He struggled to sit up, but pain tore through his body, making movement impossible. "Yuuki!!!" He hid his face in his hands, tugging on his hair with rage at himself.

Yuuki ran past Kain in the hallway as Aidou's agonized scream echoed after her.

To Be Continued...


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** I'm getting kind of bad about updating, sorry... D: It's just been really busy, what with school, sleeping over at a friend's house for the weekend, and planning for a week long vacation that I'll be leaving on TOMORROW!! *so excited XD* I'll be coming home on Friday, so I'll start writing the next chapter then. Speaking of which, unfortunately, the next chapter will be the last, and then the epilogue and then... a surprise... and then... the end. D: This story has been so fun, being my first AidouXYuuki, not to mention my first Vampire Knight fan fiction ever, and then getting to hear from so many other AidouXYuuki fans, it was all such fun! I'm going to miss it... But I'll definitely be doing more AidouXYuuki fan fictions, so that's okay. ^_^

Also, if you want to, please check out my deviantArt gallery. I have some Aidou and Yuuki fan art there, and there's always more coming. XD My profile name is FlameoZutara. I have a link in my profile, but I don't think it works, so if not, just type that in. ^_^

Okay, now on to the story!

**We're Not Meant To Be**

**Chapter 14**

**The Will To Love Again  
**

The gently morning sun was annoying as it streamed through her bedroom window, but Yuuki ignored it. She sat on her bed, her knees pulled up under her chin and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, staring at the bed sheets, even though she didn't really see it. Her mind was whirling almost too fast for her to understand each thought. She'd just fled Aidou's room in the nurse's office, and sought refuge in the room Chairman Cross had had prepared for her near his office.

Even though she didn't want to admit it, she knew Kaname was right about everything. Aidou knew Kaname was right. No doubt Zero thought Kaname was right. And Kain too. He knew Aidou better than anyone, and he never opened his mouth once when Kaname was putting his cousin down. Yuuki squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think straight.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Yuuki looked up, surprised, but she called, "Come in."

The door opened slowly, and Kain walked in awkwardly. He leaned against the opposite wall and lowered his eyes, as if trying to figure out what to say first.

"Kain-senpai…" Yuuki stuttered, suddenly realizing he'd been standing in the hallway when she brushed past him in near tears with Aidou screaming after her. She blushed with embarrassment and looked away. "You heard it all didn't you…?"

Kain shook his head. "Not all of it." Yuuki was about to breath a sigh of relief, but Kain added, "…Just the shouting."

"Sorry," the vampire princess mumbled.

"No, I'm sorry. I… shouldn't have been trying to eavesdrop," Kain admitted, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

Instead of being upset, Yuuki laughed, flashing him a genuine smile. "I'm glad you were there, Kain-senpai. I needed the support. I'm sorry I ran into you in the hallway like that."

"Stop apologizing," Kain ordered firmly, and Yuuki obeyed. "It's not your fault."

"But-"

"Kaname had some good points, but that doesn't mean he has to be right," Kain interrupted. "You two can change that if you try hard enough. Aidou can learn to protect you, you can learn to protect yourself, and together you can prove to the purebloods and nobles that you're two worthy vampires that should be allowed to be together. It's all possible, you just have to try."

Yuuki was silent for a long moment, wanting so hard to believe, but finding it impossible. She sighed. "I don't see how."

"You can learn how to use your pureblood powers, obviously. And Aidou… You've seen what a pureblood's blood did to Zero, and you've healed Aidou from a hopeless condition to near perfect health in one day. Imagine what kind of power your blood could give Aidou if he continues to drink it. He'll never be a real pureblood, but he can come close with your help. And once you've both become as powerful as you can be, you can go to the pureblood and noble committees and convince them of your worth."

"And… And what if they don't believe us?"

Kain looked her in the eye, solemn and grim. "They will, if you do the right thing. Don't think about failing." He paused, then move over to her bed, took her head in his hands, and very gently kissed her on the forehead. When he pulled away he was smiling tenderly, a look of affection Yuuki have never seen in his eyes before.

"Just remember, I believe in both of you. And to have you as part of my family, and to see my cousin truly happy, no matter how ridiculous he can be, would make me more happy than you know." His smile widened a little, and Yuuki found herself smiling with him. The light of hope had finally been relit inside of her.

"Remember that, Yuuki."

* * *

"Father… I have a favor to ask you."

"Anything, Yuuki-chan!"

"I need you… to unsheath your sword. Just one more time."

Kaien's eyes darkened behind his glasses, and he rested his chin on his folded hands. "Yuuki… that sword isn't a toy," he said slowly, looking her in the eyes. "I hope you know that."

Yuuki nodded, her jaw set with determination. "I know. I need it to become stronger. Kain-senpai, Shiki-senpai, Rima-senpai, and Kain-senpai hava all agreed to help me train, but I want you to help me too… Father."

Perhaps it was unfair, the begging gaze she had pointed in Kaien's direction, but regardless of whether or not it was fair, he gave in.

* * *

Aidou had had this odd, sinking feeling all day, but when he happened to glance out his bedroom window (he'd just been allowed to return to the Moon Dorm that morning, since his wounds were pretty much healed up, but it was still very painful to move too much) and saw his cousin literally throw Yuuki over his shoulder and into the ground, he knew why.

He'd just been resting on his bed, wearing only a pair of loose black pants, his chest and arms (and his right cheek) covered in white bandages, but the small semblance of peace he'd managed to conjure up vaporized. In an instant, he was out of bed and leaning half way out the window over the Moon Dorm courtyard, almost falling out of it.

"KAIN!! KAIN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!" he screamed, the pain of his remaining wounds preventing him from leaping out of the window (which was three stories off the ground) like he wanted to. Ichijo, Ruka, Kain, and Kaien's heads all snapped up at the sound, but Yuuki was still a bit too dazed to comprehend the sound. Rima and Shiki, relaxing in the shade of a nearby tree, just didn't care enough to look up.

"Aidou-kun, good morning!!" Kain shouted up to him cheerfully, waving. "We're just having a bit of practice out here. Please don't lean out to much or-"

"THE HECK I WILL!!" Aidou hollered back. "What sick kind of practice is this!! What the heck are you doing Kain??"

Kain dragged Yuuki to her feet, and she shook off the last of the confusion. "I'm alright, Aidou," she called, waving a dismissive hand and flashing a smile. "It's okay-"

"YOU'RE STILL WOBBLING, WHAT THE-" he started again, pointing an accusatory finger, but the extra weight out the window put an end to the precarious balance he'd had on the window frame. With a shrill cry that sounded too feminine to be taken seriously, he fell headfirst out of the window.

"Aidou!" Yuuki cried, but the word had barely left her mouth before Ichijo, who'd been the closest to the window and had dived toward Aidou as soon as he sensed the other vampire losing his grip, broke his fall. The two boys toppled over each other into a confused pile, moaning.

"Idiot!" Kain hissed aloud, rushing over to help them, but Yuuki could tell he was only saying that because Aidou had just given him a real scare. Ruka only sighed in exasperation, unsure whether to laugh at Aidou's less-than-manly scream, or shout at him for being such an airhead. Kaien also hurried over to the two boys.

Yuuki sighed with her, following Kain. She'd hoped to cheer Aidou up by telling him Kain's plan, but with his reaction thus far, she wasn't sure that would be possible anymore.

Kain snatched Aidou's wrist and dragged him to his feet, and the cousins exchanged an angry glare. Yuuki knew instantly that she should take Aidou back to his room – at once, and alone.

"Ah, Aidou-" she started, but Aidou spoke first.

"What do you think you were doing, Kain?" Aidou demanded, almost standing on his tip-toes to look the much-taller Kain in the eye.

"I was helping Yuuki practice using her pureblood powers," Kain answered evenly. "And what were _you_ doing, you idiot? You could have beaten yourself up even more than you already have!"

The look in Aidou's eyes told Yuuki that what Kain had just said had really pissed him off, as well as made him feel guilty again. Sliding up next to Aidou, she tucked her arm almost forcefully in his, flashed Kain, Kaien, Ruka, and Ichijo (who had just been pulled off the ground by Kaien) the best fake smile she could manage.

"Well Aidou needs to go back to his room now I'm pretty sure he's sore from that fall thanks for the training everyone c'mon Aidou let's go!" she said all in one breath as she dragged Aidou around the Moon Dorm to the back door (leading to the kitchen). Aidou was too surprised to protest or say anything at all, and just let her pull him along through the dorm, up the stairs, and back to his room. Sitting him down on his bed, she turned back, shut the door, then went to the window and shut it as well. Taking a silent, deep breath, she swiveled around to face Aidou.

"Aidou… I'm going to make this work," she declared, surprising Aidou more. "I won't let you give up, because I'm not about to give up, and I know you really don't want to either. Please don't be mad at Kain-senpai, he was only trying to help us, and I'm extremely grateful to him. He's trying to train me to be the strongest pureblood I can be so that I can defend myself, and he's also told me how I can make you strong so that you'll be able to protect me too, like you want."

Taking another deep breath and letting it out slowly, she fell to her knees in front of Aidou, loosened the ribbon around the collar of her uniform, and opened the first two buttons so that she could open it enough to expose her neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aidou's eyes widen more and more, but she ignored the shock on his face, lest she lose all faith. Pulling her hair out of the way and holding her collar open, she ordered firmly, "Drink my blood."

There was a long, long pause as Aidou just stared at her, and she stared back at him. Her eyes were filled with determination and more than a little pleading, things she was hoping would win Aidou over. He had to go along with it, he just had to. She wouldn't let him refuse when she knew he didn't want to. The silence dragged on, and neither of them moved.

"Aidou, do it," she whispered. "Please." She wanted to cry. He was hesitating a long time. But she was so tired of crying. She would make this work so that the only tears she would have to cry would be joyful ones. Aidou wanted it, she wanted it. It was so simple. "Please."

"I… I don't… Are you sure?"

"Yes." She meant it with all her heart.

Aidou was still for a moment, then slowly leaned forward. He could hear the blood pumping fresh and strong just below her porcelain skin, and it embarrassed him that he mouth started to water a little. Resting his lips against her neck, he held them there for a second, then let his tongue run over the skin, tasting, still trying to hold back while satisfying his thirst, though that was impossible. Finally, he let his fangs show, and they sank in. Yuuki didn't even flinch. Instead, a smile of relief lifted the corners of her lips. A tear of joy traced her cheek.

* * *

Down in the courtyard, Kain sighed, but let himself smile a little. Kaien read his look and guessed, smiling himself


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: Well... Um... First off I'd like to say that I am so so SOOOOO sorry this took so long. Really. D: I was having some Writer's block, and trying to finish up school, and... yeah. Second, this isn't the last chapter. As I was typing it up, I realized it would be just way too long and annoying to read, so I decided to split it in half. Oh well, you guys get one more chapter! XD At least I know for sure the next one won't take so long, because now I actually have a clue what I'm doing. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, BUT *gasp* I do own the OC that will be showing up in this chapter. *What? An OC from LuvStarWars??? NO WAY!* XD**

**We're Not Meant To Be**

**Chapter 15**

**Face to Face  
**

Yuuki dodged the swing of a sword, and it whistled mere inches past her head. Three large rocks attacked her assailant on command, driving him back. Across the field, Aidou was holding off Kain, Ruka, Shiki (who had finally been convinced to join the action) and Rima at once. Yuuki's opponents, Kaien, Seiren, Ichijo and Zero, were dancing lithely around her, each trying to break her concentration and distract her long enough to get a hit in. They'd been going on for a good hour, and both Yuuki and Aidou had kept up a good fight. Both of them would have defeated their opponents long before now, but this particular training session was geared toward testing their endurance, not just their attack strength. They'd already proved that…

It had been five months since Aidou started regularly drinking Yuuki's blood, and both had showed impressive progress. Maybe it was the hope that Kain's suggestion had given them both, or the fact that they no longer had to worry about Kaname showing up and killing one of them at any moment, but they were both much happier now. They weren't afraid to show that they were in love. The only thing that could spoil this happy time was the fact that the worse was yet to come. They still had to convince the other purebloods that they deserved to be together – if that was even possible. But Yuuki wouldn't give up hope.

Aidou was nearly as strong as a pureblood now. His attacks were faster and stronger, his reflexes quicker, and his endurance was amazing. He seemed very pleased with his new power, and this confidence rubbed off on Yuuki, helping her with her own training. Telekinesis had become second nature to her, and she knew (though she hoped she would never have to use it) that she could incinerate someone with just a thought if she was in deep enough trouble. It almost scared her to say it, but they were ready. Ready to prove themselves to the purebloods.

After Kaname's "charge" on the vampire's senate building, the vampire world had been in a state of anarchy. Thankfully, for the most part, the purebloods had kept their heads and taken control, forming a temporary high council. Of course, "temporary" soon became "permanent," and the Pureblood High Council became the ruling government. Yuuki had to admit they did a better job of ruling than the senate, but there was something unnerving about them, something high and mysterious. She knew that because she too was a pureblood, they would respect her as their kin, but she was still very worried. This was the first time she'd meet other purebloods, and in such a tense first meeting too…

"That was a terrific session everyone!" Kaien announced when Ruka finally staggered to a hault, signaling the end of training. Aidou threw his arm around Yuuki's shoulder as they headed back inside, kissing her forehead tenderly, making her already flushed face a bit deeper red.

From the shadows of the trees, a pair of blood red eyes watched them carefully.

"Okay, everyone!" Kaien called cheerfully, clapping his hands and gaining everyone's attention. They'd settled into couches in the main room of the Moon Dormitory, each with cold drinks. Shiki sat on the arm of one couch with Rima beside him, her head resting against his leg, and Ichijo sat next to them. Ruka, Kain, Yuuki and Aidou shared the other enormous couch. Zero stood beside Kaien.

"It's been an amazingly productive last five months for all of you, and I am so proud of the improvements Yuuki-chan and Aidou-kun have made especially," Kaien continued, still beaming. But Yuuki could see through his grin. She knew what was coming. Sure enough, Kaien's smile had faded the next second. "It is time for the final test," he added gravely. Aidou's arm tightened around Yuuki's shoulder.

"The Pureblood Council will no doubt be impressed by the level of your strength, Aidou-kun, being only a noble. But I cannot say whether or not it will be enough. I've never met with this Pureblood Council, and so I don't know how they operate. No doubt they have great pride. I'm afraid I can't tell you anything about what their reaction might be to your proposal, but… Yuuki-chan also being a pureblood, I think the odds could be in her favor." Despite the fact that he was trying to keep a calm countenance, Yuuki could tell her adopted father was very frustrated about this lack of inside information. "In any case," he added with a sigh, "you must keep on your toes. You especially Aidou-kun. Who knows whether they'll take this request of yours as a personal insult and become aggressive." Aidou nodded, his aquamarine eyes serious.

"Are you nervous?"

"Hm… yes. You?"

"Only a little."

"Really??" Yuuki demanded. Aidou smirked at her, his fangs flashing in the dark. They'd all stayed in the front room until late into the night, discussing their plans, until one by one the others went to bed. Yuuki wasn't a bit tired, however, so she stayed where she was, and Aidou wouldn't leave her.

They could leave any day now. Yuuki knew it had to be soon. She was so sick of waiting, so sick of being afraid, and she knew Aidou felt the same.

"What are we trying to accomplish?" Aidou asked suddenly, his voice breaking the silence of midnight. Yuuki looked up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what will this meeting prove? What significance does it have?" Yuuki started to attempt to answer, but Aidou smirked again. "I'm not going to let a bunch of purebloods tell me whether I can love you or not," he added.

Yuuki's eyes softened as she smiled. "But we still have to ask their permission. Maybe it'll flatter them enough that they'll agree. I wish I could be as confident as you though…" she added, resting her head on his chest.

"Why can't you be?"

"Because I'm afraid," Yuuki admitted very softly, almost in a whisper. "I'm afraid about what the Chairman said, that they could get aggressive. I don't want them to-"

"Hey, what do you think these last five months have been about?" Aidou demanded playfully. "Don't be worried." Abruptly, he stood up, causing Yuuki to fall over onto the couch. "In fact!" he continued, stretching, "I think we should pay them a visit right now."

"W-What?!" Yuuki cried. "What are you talking about?? We can't leave right now, it's the middle of the night!"

"Sometimes you forget you're a vampire, don't you?" Aidou asked her jokingly, looking down at her. "What's the big deal?"

"Well… but… what would the others say?" Yuuki stammered, trying to find an excuse. "And how far away is the High Council building? The trip could take hours. We would need to pack-"

"We'll leave them a note. I don't feel like going through any teary goodbyes. And the High Council doesn't have an official home yet, so it's held in the house of the Council leader, a vampire named Karuu."

Yuuki waited for him to say a last name, but when he didn't, she prompted, "Karuu…?"

"That's it. Karuu. I've never met him personally, but apparently he's extremely wealthy and has very powerful pureblood abilities. He's also young for a pureblood, which just goes to show that he shouldn't be underestimated, being head of the High Council. His house isn't too far from here, we could probably get there in a couple hours."

Yuuki felt a shiver go down her spine. This wasn't helping her nerves. If this Karuu person was as impressive as Aidou made him seem, they could be in trouble… But Aidou was already scribbling out a note and laying it on the table.

"How are we supposed to get there, walking?" Yuuki asked, making a last effort to discourage this little plan.

"I'll take Kain's car."

"You don't have the keys!"

"Sure I do," Aidou grinned, pulling them out of his pocket.

Yuuki gaped at him. "You planned this?? Steal your cousin's car and drive off in the middle of the night-" She stopped. A thought had occurred to her. "Aidou… You're not planning to…" The question sounded so ridiculous, she could hardly force it out. "Are you trying to elope with me?"

Aidou gave her a look of incredulity that immediately killed her fears. "What in the world would give you that idea?! I just want to get this over-with! I want t- I want to stop running away," he quickly changed the sentence.

Yuuki couldn't argue with that. In that moment of hesitation, Aidou took her hand, kissed her on the neck, and started pulling her towards the front door. She didn't fight him, and in a few minutes, they were leaving Cross Academy behind them.

"Do you think Kain will be very mad that you took his car?" Yuuki asked suddenly.

"Well… probably."

Aidou was right about one thing. In a couple short hours of driving through the empty moonlit countryside, an enormous mansion came into view. In fact, it looked more like a small white castle. It seemed to grow rapidly in size the closer they got. Yuuki wondered if this grandeur was part of what was so intimidating about Karuu.

When they reached the gate to the estate, they were surprised to see that there were no guards. In fact, the gate was wide open. Even so, Aidou waited a long time before finally driving through to the house. Yuuki saw that he looked very tense, and her heart started pounding harder against her ribs.

When they stopped in front of the main house, they saw that at the top of the steps, the front door was wide open too. All of the windows were dark; there was no movement from inside that they could see. Aidou parked the car right there, and they sat in silence for a long moment.

"I'll go in alone," Aidou finally said, but he spoke quietly and his eyes were shifting from shadow to shadow, like he was sure they were being observed.

"No, I'm going with you!" Yuuki said, but she found that her own voice was little more than a whisper as well. Aidou stared into her eyes for a long time, then nodded. They spoke no more as he got out of the car, walked around the front, and opened her door for her. He made sure to be in front of her as they ascended the stairs.

They stopped just outside the door, Yuuki peering around Aidou to see inside. It was nearly dark, except that silver moonlight was spilling through large windows on the other side of the room. That dim light illuminated a semicircle of sofas sitting in the middle of the tiled floor, and many shapes sitting upon them - vampires. Yuuki felt a powerful chill run down her spine. Cold fear clawed at her heart, but she didn't move.

One of the vampires, sitting in the middle of the semicircle, stood up. His back was to the moonlit windows, so his front was entirely black. All except for his eyes, which glowed like bloody slits in the darkness.

"Welcome, Kuran Yuuki. I have been expecting you."

To Be Continued...

* * *

**For those of you that have read Twilight, my apologies that this is starting to sound like the Vulturi from the end of New Moon... I didn't try to, honest!! I don't even like Twilight...**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Notes: I've been having internet problems, so that's why this took me so long. I'm really sorry... As it is, I'm having to drive to the library to use their Wifi, which is really annoying. Anyway, this is (I swear it this time XD) the last chapter. The epilogue will be up the very next time I can get to the library, I promise!! It should be about a week... Anyway, hope you enjoy! Please review! ^_^**

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Chapter 16**

**Trial  
**

Yuuki blinked. She really didn't know what she'd expected, but it certainly wasn't that. Apparently the one that had just spoken to her was Karuu, the High Council leader. As her eyes adjusted to the near blackness of the room, the young vampire became more than just a black shape against the window.

His eyes were like burning red stars, boring into her soul. His handsome, youthful face wore a smirk, and his coal black, shoulder length hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail. Tall and lanky, he seemed perfectly relaxed, confident. Yuuki hated that about him; he knew something she didn't; she was at a disadvantage, even more so than before.

"Come in, Yuuki, princess of the Kuran family," he offered silkily, gesturing to the sofa behind him. Immediately the vampire sitting there moved over to make room. Yuuki didn't move.

"Milady," Karuu chuckled at the look on her face. "No one here is going to bite you." The room filled with a quivering, hissing sound as several purebloods sniggered loudly to themselves. Yuuki's jaw tightened.

"That is very kind of you, Sir, but-"

"Come now, dear Yuuki, this meeting will be much easier if you cooperate," Karuu interrupted, his voice still perfectly calm. "It is a difficult subject you wish to discuss."

Aidou stiffened. "How did-" Yuuki started, but Karuu interrupted again.

"Unfortunately, I cannot answer that question at present, but you will know soon enough. Come now – sit." And suddenly, Yuuki felt her legs moving on their own, walking right over to the couch and sitting down. Karuu settled down next to her and threw his arm over the back of the couch behind her shoulders. Aidou had gone deathly still, his turquoise eyes wide. Yuuki threw him a helpless look.

"Now, Yuuki," Karuu began, dropping all formalities and leaning close to her ear. Yuuki thought she saw him glance for a split second at Aidou, then look away. "I may know why you've come here, but my good colleagues have no idea. Would you kindly explain the situation to them?"

Yuuki swallowed hard. She couldn't speak. She couldn't even move. Was this one of Karuu's tricks, or was it just fear that made her limbs feel like lead. She opened her mouth to speak, shut it, opened it again, and shut it again. Karuu just watched her, a pleasant smile on his face, his eyes glowing treacherously.

"I-I…" She looked up at Aidou, who looked just as confused and horrified as she felt. "We… I love Hanabusa Aid-"

"Yes yes…" Karuu interrupted, tilting his head, his smile growing ever so slightly. He still had not acknowledged Aidou's presence, and seemed determined not to. "And you are here for the permission of the Pureblood High Council. However, I fail to understand, Milady, why you should require such a thing. Love is such a natural – indeed, sometimes it's an automatic – thing. When have two people ever required permission to love each other?"

Yuuki's dislike for the man sitting next to her was growing with every condescending, poisonous word he uttered. She knew he was baiting her, trying to make her look bad in front of the Council. But she had to answer his question, or else they would never get anywhere. Steadying her voice, she said, "Aidou is a noble," but her voice came out so small it sounded more like a squeak.

"A little louder please, Milady," Karuu coaxed gently.

"Aidou is a noble!" Yuuki blurted. The room was silent for a long, sickening moment, then suddenly everyone was shouting at once. The noise of furious voices echoed off the walls, multiplying them by ten, filling Yuuki's ears and mind until she couldn't block it out anymore. Nearly everyone had jumped to their feet, screaming and shaking their fists at Aidou, who still stood in the doorway, a look of mixed fury and horror on his face. Karuu was the only one who stayed where he was, smiling pleasantly into space.

"Just who do you think you are?!" bellowed one vampire, his crimson eyes flashing murderously.

"How dare you consider yourself the equal of a pureblood!!" another screamed. "A mere noble has no right!"

"Wait… I know you!" a third spoke up. "You're Hanabusa Aidou! You're so vain that even if you were a level E you'd still think yourself worthy of a pureblood princess!!"

The shouting in the room became a virtual uproar at this, and Yuuki felt her already sinking heart jerk painfully in her chest before falling straight down to her toes. They had no choice now but to run away and hope to make things work. But where would they possibly go-

"I didn't come here to announce our engagement or anything!!" Aidou suddenly shouted over all the others, and the room fell into a shocked silence. Yuuki's head snapped up, and their eyes met. "I came here to… to ask your permission…" He knelt down before the council and bowed low. "I _humbly_ ask your permission."

The High Council seemed so stunned at this that for a long time no one spoke. Karuu was still leaning back on the sofa, his chin resting on his hand, grinning smugly, his vicious red eyes gazing at Aidou for the first time. With another painful jerk inside, Yuuki knew what he would see before he opened his mouth.

"No."

There were murmurs of approval and much nodding from the other vampires. Yuuki's mind worked furiously. Where could they go… Surely the Chairman would help them find a safe place… But they would have to keep moving, at least-

"I'll fight you then!!"

Everyone's head snapped toward Aidou. He was on his feet, teeth clenched, aquamarine eyes flashing dangerously. Karuu's smirk widened.

"A noble battle a pureblood? My my, you really are an impertinent little boy, aren't you…" he drawled. Then, to Yuuki's astonishment, he stood up. "I accept, however. At least you will learn your place, Hanabusa Aidou."

"What makes you think I'll lose?" Aidou snarled.

"I have already foreseen the outcome," Karuu answered, licking his lips. "Care to know how you're going to die?"

For the third time since she'd fallen in love with Hanabusa Aidou, Yuuki felt as helpless as if she were frozen in place, watching a nightmare come to life. She could only pray that this time, the outcome was different than the first two.

The entire Council had moved into the courtyard of Karuu's mansion house, a great pit whose sides were lined with seats, creating a small arena. Yuuki felt her stomach flip as she took a front row seat. This Karuu seemed to particularly enjoy the pain of others. How many vampires had battled to the deaths in his backyard? Or were humans fed to hungry vampires here for sport? The thought made her head swim, but her dizziness cleared as a voice carried over the arena.

"There are no rules in this fight," Karuu was saying. He stood at the right end of the arena, Aidou directly across from him. The pureblood seemed fiercely excited. "Whoever is left alive at the end of this is the winner. If you win, Hanabusa, you can live, and you and Kuran Yuuki can do whatever you please. Also, no matter what your lineage, you will be given the rank of a pureblood."

Several of the pureblood vampires filling the arena, including Yuuki herself, gasped in shock. A noble given the rank of a pureblood?! Such a thing had never been done in vampire history!

Karuu did not seem to notice the murmurings of the crowd. He smirked again. "If I win, I'll kill you in the most entertaining and painful way I can think of… And I can do whatever I wish with Yuuki," he added with a vicious smile.

Aidou's fists clenched. "Leave Yuuki out of this!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry, but wasn't Kuran Yuuki the reason for this battle in the first place?" Karuu replied, looking quite amused. "But enough of this chattering. Let the fight begin!"

And before anyone could blink, he lunged across the field. Aidou dove out of the way, but Karuu twisted in mid air, his claws digging deep into Aidou's left arm. Karuu landed lithely on his feet, smirking, as the four long gashed healed before his eyes, leaving only the tears in Aidou's sleeve as evidence they were ever there. The noble leapt to his feet.

"So my information is correct. Yuuki has been feeding you her blood to strengthen her," Karuu said, completely unconcerned. "Of course, it was something you had no right to taste, but you must have… enjoyed it to the fullest."

Snarling, Aidou lunged at him, but he'd barely moved before Karuu was out of his way. Grabbing Aidou's arm as he passed, the pureblood threw him over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground.

"Haven't you guess already, noble?" he demanded happily as Aidou scrambled back to his feet. "There are some amazing pureblood powers out there, but I believe mine is more effective than any other. I can see the future. I know every move you're going to make from now until the end of the battle!"

Aidou charged him again, his fury growing, and earned a large gash across the nose for it.

"I know how you'll die-"

"SHUT UP!!" Aidou screamed. His eyes were glowing a murderous red now. Instead of charging, he conjured a train of solid ice and sent it barreling towards Karuu. The pureblood clapped his hands together and held them in front of him; his glistening claws cut the ice right in half, and it fell away, leaving him completely unharmed.

"Don't make me regret going easy on you to keep this battle going," he called. "You've got to be more interesting than that!"

Aidou growled again, and ice spread over the entire field. Enormous spikes began shooting up from the ground, but Karuu dodged them effortlessly. Yuuki couldn't even follow them with her vampire eyes, but the other pureblood was leaping gracefully away from danger every second.

Suddenly, Karuu grabbed a spear of ice, snapped the top off with one hand, and threw it straight at Aidou's heart like a javelin. Yuuki's breath caught, but Aidou leapt out of the way just in time. He'd barely landed before he threw up his right arm to block Karuu's swinging claws. Before Karuu could pull away, ice had spread from Aidou's arm to his, and Aidou's other hand drove an icy dagger through his stomach. The next second, Karuu's other hand came out of Aidou's back.

"AIDOU!!!" Yuuki screamed. She couldn't believe what she'd just seen. It all happened so fast. It couldn't have…

With a quick jerk of his wrist, Karuu freed his frozen arm and stepped away, Aidou's knife sliding out as he did so; the wound was already mostly healed. Doubling over, Aidou coughed blood over the ground, clutching his punctured chest. Yuuki couldn't watch this happen again. She leapt to her feet, vaulted over the seats, and landed on her feet in the pit.

"Stay!" barked Aidou before she'd even taken her first step.

"Giving orders to a pureblood?" Karuu marveled smugly. "How grand of you."

"Aidou, please-"

"I said stay where you are, Yuuki!" Aidou repeated, his voice cold. Then, in a much softer tone, he added, "I can do this."

"You honestly still believe that?" his opponent questioned, smiling viciously. "Look at yourself! You're practically kissing the ground at my feet!" He shook his head in mock pity. "Give up now, noble, and I'll let you crawl away. You won't have any dignity left, and you certainly won't have your precious Yuuki, but at least you'll have your pathetic life left. Isn't that all you've ever cared about, Hanabusa Aidou?"

"Don't listen to him, Aidou!" Yuuki shouted. "He's scared of you, that's all! He's just trying to get you to give up!"

Karuu blinked lazily at her. "Scared of a noble? You wound me, Princess," he drawled, feigning hurt. But Yuuki's words seemed to hit home for Aidou. His eyes were focused again, his jaw set. Struggling to his feet, he released his bleeding chest. The wound was nearly healed, but he'd lost a lot of blood.

"Yuuki… please go back to your seat," he said quietly, glancing at her quickly before his eyes snapped back to Karuu. Nodding, Yuuki hurried back up to the stands. There was a light in Aidou's eyes that gave her hope. They'd both tried to hard to get to this point, and Aidou would make certain it wasn't all in vain.

Aidou charged first. Karuu spun left to dodge. Aidou spun with him. They clashed. Teeth glistened and claws tore, red eyes glowing fiercely in the fray. Yuuki's eyes followed every movement, her heart hammering in her chest. The two vampires broke apart, snarling, though there was a look of vicious glee on Karuu's face that was absent from Aidou's. His was a look of cold determination. Yuuki's heart leapt. He looked like a pureblood.

Karuu seemed to notice the change as well. He didn't look cautious, but he circled Aidou just outside his reach, his sharp red eyes tracking every movement. It was now that Yuuki noticed the dribble of blood traveling down his face from his temple. Aidou had wounded him. Yuuki felt her heart jump.

Ice suddenly erupted from the ground again. The frozen spears were coming much faster now, almost a blur. Karuu leapt out of the way, but one caught him in the leg. Another scraped his right arm. A third missed his face by mere inches. Somehow, he made it out mostly uninjured, only to have to duck Aidou's swinging, icy fist. He punched back, claws at the ready, but Aidou blocked, readying another punch of his own with his other arm.

The next second, four things happened at once. One of the vampires in the audience, wearing a long cloak with the hood pulled low over his face, stood up. From under his cloak he pulled a long, glistening spear and threw it into the pit. Karuu leapt back from Aidou, and Yuuki, seeing the spear out of the corner of her eye as it was thrown, dove into the pit to head it off.

Aidou saw the spear too, but too late. He was turning, but too late. Yuuki landed in front of him. She closed her eyes, ready for the pain to come.

It took her a long moment to realize that the pain hadn't come when it should have. Opening her eyes, she gasped. The spear was floating in mid air before her, the tip a mere inch from her forehead. Her telekinesis had stopped it when even she was sure it would fail!

With a heavy sigh of relief, Yuuki let the spear fall to the grass, and collapsed beside it. Aidou was right next to her, his arms suddenly around her, and the rocked back and forth, Aidou hissing that she shouldn't have interfered. She could have died. If her telekinesis hadn't worked… But he sounded happy nonetheless, and as he cradled her against his chest, kissing her forehead, Yuuki felt heart melt to the ground. She'd nearly forgotten where they were when Aidou suddenly said, "Where did Karuu go?!"

Yuuki's head snapped up. Sure enough, they were the only two in the pit. The vampires in the audience seemed just as confused as they. Then Yuuki noticed that the hooded man who'd thrown the spear was gone as well.

* * *

"Well, my friend, that was quite a game, wasn't it?"

"You don't seem very happy."

Karuu sighed, rolling his eyes. "It brought me no joy, of course. But it's not about me, is it? This was _your_ favor, after all. I could have said no." His companion remained silent. Karuu sighed again and continued, staring out the window, down at the pit where the pureblood and the noble were embracing. "I'm glad you stepped in when you did, Kaname. You saved your old friend from a great deal of humiliation. A few more moves and I could see he would have gotten me."

"Drop it, Karuu. You know you can't really see the future," Kaname Kuran said, grinning ever so slightly.

Karuu laughed aloud. "True, true… But I've always wanted to pretend I could, and those two seemed to really believe me!

"It was a very convincing act."

"Come now, Kaname, why are you being so stiff??" Karuu demanded, pretending to be hurt. "Lighten up! The game is over, you can rest easy now. Obviously the noble can hold his own, as can your sister, you should be somewhat pleased! I'll admit, it gave me quite a scare when she actually jumped in front of that spear… I mean, if her telekinesis hadn't been absolutely _solid_, I can just imagine… And did you see the look on that Hanabusa's face?! He _looked_ like a pureblood, Kaname! How long did you say he's been drinking Yuuki's blood?"

"Five months. And you're right…" Kaname frowned slightly, deep in thought. "He can never be a _real_ pureblood, not by birth. But he's come close. Very close. I never thought… not in an eternity… he would get so close."

Karuu let out a low whistle, then let the silence stretch. Out the window they could see Aidou and Yuuki leaving the pit, holding each other close.

"I can still stop them, Kaname," Karuu spoke up, his voice very quiet. "I may not be able to see the future, but I know that that Hanabusa Aidou has a very bright and beautiful future in front of him." He looked at Kaname, his eyes searching the other pureblood's. "If you want, I could still stop them…"

"I wouldn't want you to lose sleep over a rash act of vengeance. You may not act it, but I know killing would greatly upset you. I don't want that on your young conscience," Kaname replied.

"As you wish," Karuu shrugged. Then he seemed to remember something. "Speaking of acts of vengeance, how's your cheek? It looks ba- Kaname?"

His friend didn't seem to hear him. His eyes were glued to Yuuki and Aidou. "Perhaps he was right…" he said quietly, talking more to himself than to Karuu. "Perhaps I am afraid to lose my precious dove after all…" And with that, he pulled his hood back over his head and left without another word. Karuu watched him go, a sad smile breaking over his face.

"Kaname Kuran, you are the most selfless masochist I've ever met," he said.

* * *

The first thing Aidou received when he and Yuuki returned to Cross Academy was a punch on the arm – a hard and painful one – from his cousin as punishment for stealing his car. Then, as reward for not putting a single scratch on it and returning alive from battling a bloodthirsty pureblood – though he had quite a few scratches to show for that – he got a hug from said cousin, then one from Ruka, one from the Chairman, and even one from Rima. Shiki wasn't interested, and Ichijo just gave him a hearty handshake, while Zero just gave him a small nod of approval. Everyone hugged Yuuki.

It hardly seemed real. After months of fighting and worrying and tension, everything had lifted away. After everyone had hugged everyone else – except for Shiki – Aidou and Yuuki embraced each other again, the full measure of their relief and joy just beginning to sink in. They kissed too, and then, before Yuuki knew what was happening, Aidou dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry him. He had no ring, which Ruka had a great deal to say about, but Yuuki didn't care. She became the first woman to help shop for her own engagement ring.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: This is it, you guys, the epilogue! Thank you so, so, SO much for all your reviews! This is my first story to hit (and pass) 100 reviews! You guys are freaking awesome. 8D**

**A special thanks to birning ice, bunnyxx, Apple Juice and Candy Floss, and Cassiecaseyox. You guys were my most frequent reviewers, and I really appreciate it. :) And to everyone, thank you for all your patience! I know some of these chapters took a long time, and I'm sorry about that. **

**I'm not sure what my next project will be, but I have a couple ideas for Zutara and Ouran High School Host Club fics, so whichever catches my fancy, I suppose. XD And now, without further ado, the epilogue of "We're Not Meant to Be." Hope you enjoy it! :)**

**We're Not Meant to Be**

**Epilogue  
**

_How many years has it been? 5? 10? 15 sounds closer… I can't remember though… I must have lost count a long time ago…_

He trudged through the snow, his feet heavy as lead, his arms hanging limply at his sides.

_How long have I been walking without a destination? I can't remember anymore… And now, the only destination I've had, I'm afraid to go to. After all these years, I'm still a pathetic coward…_

His breath formed little silver clouds in the freezing air, but he couldn't feel the cold. His whole body was numb, numb with anxiety, despair, and guilt.

_I hope she doesn't forgive me. Please don't forgive me…_

Lights appeared between the twisted trees. They should have looked warm and welcoming, but to him, they were a terrifying sight. Too soon, the house came into view. It looked cozy, content and full of love. He swallowed forcibly. It was painful.

For a long time he stood in front of the door, knowing he had to knock, knowing it was the last thing he wanted to do. The cold was cutting into him more and more the longer he stood still, but he refused to move. This was a bad idea. The worst idea.

What part of his mind possessed him enough to make his hand knock on the door at last, he wasn't sure. His breath caught in his throat as the seconds ticked by. He could hear soft music and many happy voices muffled behind the door, but he tried not to listen enough to make out what they were saying. The doorknob turned. Warm light poured over him.

The music that had been playing died away with a pitiful wheeze. Every eye in the room – and there were many – turned to him, every one widening in shock. Several mouths dropped open. All of his resolve melted away.

"K-Kaname?? Is that you?"

A young woman was making her way through the crowd. Kaname Kuran sucked in a sharp breath. If he hadn't been sure his mother was dead, he would have been sure she was standing before him now.

Yuuki's hair fell down her back in untamed waves, her bangs framing her pale, lovely face. She wore a sleeveless pink dress with lace trim and a large rose tucked gracefully behind her ear. Her enormous crimson eyes were filled with concern, an emotion he'd been sure he wouldn't see there. By her side stood a tall, blonde vampire with shocking aquamarine eyes, widened more in surprise than worry. Kaname tried hard to swallow the lingering anger, the jealousy.

"Kaname? Are you all right?" Yuuki's voice called him back to the present. She grabbed his hand and dragged him over the threshold, into the warmth and light, and sat him down on the couch. Sitting across from him in a plush armchair, she studied his face, her eyes still filled with concern; neither seemed to notice that the whole room was staring at them. He registered her expression of shock when her eyes rested on his right cheek. "Kaname…"

The pureblood prince smiled for the first time in what seemed like years – perhaps it had been. "Just punishment," he explained shortly, unintentionally fingering the fine silver scar. He heard a throat clear and looked up, spotting the Chairman standing nearby. He didn't look too much older, despite the years, and Kaname knew he was recalling that night long ago, in a dark alley, when his sword had struck the pureblood and left its eternal mark. Kaien gave him a knowing grimace, but said nothing.

There was a tense silence. The guests, most of whom Kaname recognized immediately, where staring from him, to Yuuki, then back to him. He could see Rima and Shiki sitting together on a couch opposite him, Ruka and Kain standing near them, Ichijo and Yuuki's human friend Yori, and even Zero, leaning against the wall. There were several other human and vampire guests, all dressed in their best for a Valentine's Day party. He realized how incredibly out of place he must look, dressed in a dark cloak that had seen better days, ashen-faced and eyes rimmed from lack of sleep.

"Kaname, come eat something," Yuuki pleaded at last. "You look starved. We have a spare bedroom all ready that you can use, too. Come on…" She took his hand, they stood up, and she led him into the spacious kitchen. Aidou hung back, knowing it was wiser not to get involved yet.

Glancing around to make sure no one was around, Yuuki pulled up her sleeve and wordlessly held her bare left wrist out towards Kaname. There was a wedding band on her ring finger. Kaname closed his eyes. Hesitating for a long moment, he took her wrist in a soft grip and, very gently, kissed her palm. But he didn't bite.

"This belongs to Aidou," he said softly, folding her fingers closed over her palm.

He heard a sniffle, and the next moment Yuuki threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a fierce embrace.

"You are my brother, Kaname-oniisan," she whispered, tears wetting the shoulder of his cloak. "Part of me will _always_ belong to you."

"Yuuki… please don't forgive me," Kaname mumbled, standing limply in her arms, not returning the hug, but not fighting it. He hardly dared to hope that what he was hearing was the truth. "I don't deserve it."

Yuukii pulled away and smiled up at him. "Too late," she said. "It's been 4 years, Kaname-oniisan. I can't hold a grudge for that long. And even though what you did was wrong, your heart was in the right place. I know that. And Aidou knows it too."

Kaname started. Only 4 years? It felt like so much longer. But he was glad it wasn't. His dear sister's smile seemed much brighter now, her eyes full of joy. He felt himself smiling, though it was somewhat bittersweet.

"How can I make it up to you? You have to tell me," he demanded weakly. "Something – anything."

Yuuki's smile brightened. "Well you could start by eating something," she said. Kaname opened his mouth, but she waved her hand to stop him. "It doesn't have to be my blood. I have plenty of blood tablets here for our vampire guests. And then you could stay with us. At least a week. I won't let you leave any sooner."

"What about… Aidou?" Kaname asked, trying his best to say the name without prejudice, and he was happy how easy it was. Yuuki's words had more weight than she probably realized. "What will he think?"

"He'll be thrilled!" Yuuki assured him. "Everyone will. We've all been worried about you. I mean, not hearing from you for four years… I'm so happy you're back." Her eyes were swimming. "I've missed you so much!" She gave him another hug, and this time he returned it, planting a kiss on her forehead as they parted.

"I've missed you too… Yuuki."

**Fin.~**


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